Roving Periscope: India too big for the US to use against China, says UN advisor
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: America’s well-known economist and UN advisor Jeffrey Sachs believes India is too large a country for the United States to use its trade adversary China, the media reported on Wednesday.
Interestingly, China, which has been dumping its products in India and other countries, and violating the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements at will, has now urged New Delhi to join Beijing’s trade war against Washington which, it claimed, is violating the WTO norms!
Professor Sachs is among the world’s leading experts on economic development, global macroeconomics, and the fight against poverty. His work has taken him to more than 130 countries, and he has advised dozens of world leaders in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East on economic strategy.
His observation came hours after the US raised tariff against China to a whopping 104 percent, and warned the Dragon to drop its day before’s 34 percent reciprocal tariffs against America “within 12 hours” that ended on Wednesday afternoon.
He also warned India against getting entangled in US geopolitical strategies, particularly amid rising tensions with China. Speaking at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025 on Wednesday, he emphasised that India should not allow itself to be used as a tool in Washington’s strategy to counter Beijing.
He said the United States wants India to criticise China, and described such moves as part of a broader American agenda. He urged India to chart its own course in foreign policy.
“The US wants to use India to beat up China,” Sachs said, adding, “Don’t play the American game… India is too big for a US game.” He noted that Washington has long sought to pit nations against each other to preserve its global influence, with India now being positioned as a counterweight to China.
Sachs acknowledged that India and China have their own disputes but suggested that resolving them bilaterally would be in both countries’ best interest. “I know India and China have their own issues, but settle them,” he said. “Between the two of you, you’re 40 percent of the world’s population, and you could actually help to run a very decent world together.”
“Don’t get pulled into it,” he cautioned.
Prof Sachs also questioned India’s involvement in strategic groupings such as the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), which China dubs as “Asian NATO,” suggesting that these alliances primarily serve US interests.
“So, the US loves for India to be in the Quad. It wants India to bash China. I heard some Indian politicians recently saying, no, it’s not Donald Trump’s trade policy, it’s all because of China. No, not exactly. It’s actually because of Donald Trump. So just be careful not to play the game… India is too big for a US game,” he said.
Sachs also warned that the United States is driven by a deep-rooted fear of losing global dominance. He described US foreign policy as the one centred on control, often at the expense of its allies. “If you’re a friend of the United States, beware. Very dangerous,” Sachs remarked. “I’ve lived a whole lifetime in America declaring its friendship to countries that end up getting destroyed in part because of that wonderful friendship.”
Sachs also noted that both China and India have risen as major economies despite their colonial histories. “India was the largest or second-largest economy in the world for centuries until the British arrived and did their job for quite a while,” he said.
He suggested that as India climbs the global economic ladder, it may encounter the same resentment from the US that China currently faces. “Americans hate China. They hate China—how dare you have a bigger economy than the United States? This violates every rule, according to American thinking, and they will come to resent India, I’m sorry to tell you, as you overtake the United States too,” he said.
Despite ongoing trade war and geopolitical tensions, Prof. Sachs expressed optimism about India’s future. “India is doing wonderfully,” he said, crediting the country’s leadership and policies for its rapid growth. He predicted that India would overtake the US as the world’s second-largest economy within 10 to 15 years and could become the largest economy by the latter half of the 21st century.
Sachs also urged that India be made a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). “How can we have a Security Council without India being a permanent member? It makes no sense at all,” he said.
The eminent economist criticized US President Donald Trump and the unilateral economic decisions he made since he took office in January. He described Trump’s executive orders as unprecedented and destabilising. Referring to recent tariffs on China and other countries, Sachs said, “For the first time in American history, we are in a one-man show right now… It wasn’t a vote of the US Congress, it wasn’t even a discussion in Congress. It was literally an executive order.”
India and China, traditionally rivals but key trade partners, made significant progress in de-escalating border tensions in 2024—conflicts that had escalated since mid-2020. This diplomatic breakthrough marked a new chapter in bilateral ties. However, India remains heavily reliant on Chinese imports.
India’s trade deficit with China surged to USD 85.1 billion in 2023–24. China remains India’s top source of imports, with the value of inbound goods rising 9.8 percent year-on-year to USD 65.89 billion between April and October 2024. In contrast, India’s exports to China declined by 9.37 percent to USD 8 billion during the same period, according to the Union Commerce Ministry data.
Facing stiff challenge from the US, China has urged India to join forces in opposing US-imposed tariffs. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India condemned Washington’s trade measures as an “abuse” that harms developing economies.
The remarks followed US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on Chinese goods, bringing the cumulative tariff rate to 104 percent this year. This move came after China imposed a 34 percent import duty on US goods. India currently faces a 26 percent tariff from the US, with further announcements expected soon.
.
