【Text by Observers Network, Qi Qian】This week, US President Trump announced a 50% tariff on imports from India, criticizing India for purchasing Russian energy, which has put an end to the close relationship between the two countries. Immediately, the whole country of India was in an uproar, and Modi's government found itself in a difficult situation both internally and externally.
According to an August 10 report by Indian media "Hindustan Times," Jeffrey Sachs, a professor of economics at Columbia University and director of the Harvard Center for International Affairs, gave some advice to India during an interview with the newspaper. Sachs said that in fact, US politicians are not concerned about India at all, and India will not gain any security benefits by aligning with the US to counter China.
In the interview, Sachs pointed out that India should not join the Quad to counter China with the US.
"US politicians don't care about India at all, please understand this. India standing on the US side to counter China will not gain long-term security guarantees," Sachs said. "India, as a major power, has an independent status on the international stage." He added that Trump's tariff policies, including the threat of a 50% import tariff on India, "are unconstitutional."
Sachs further explained that India should not expect to build a deep trade relationship with the US, although India may have the ability to help the US reduce its reliance on Chinese supply chains.
"When I was in India this spring, I told them not to expect a great trade relationship with the US," Sachs continued to warn, saying that India hopes to become an important partner of the US and replace part of the Chinese supply chain role, but this expectation is not realistic.
Sachs reiterated that India should not have too many unrealistic expectations of the US.

Sachs accepting interview by Indian media, screenshot
On the local date of the 6th, Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, making the total tariff level reach 50%. This additional tariff measure will take effect on August 28 local time. Trump said it is to "punish" India for continuing to purchase Russian oil.
Before that, Trump had been pressuring India more and more, using social media to make harsh remarks, accusing India and pressuring it to stop buying Russian weapons and energy. He once criticized India's high tariffs as "severe and annoying," calling India and Russia "dead economies."
The report said that less than six months ago, Trump warmly welcomed Modi at the White House, calling him a "great friend." At that time, US-India diplomatic relations were seen as a fortress against the rise of China. However, after the above threats took effect, India would face one of the highest tariffs in the world. This led to serious chaos in US-India relations and placed Modi's government in a difficult position.
The US credit rating agency Moody's predicted on the 8th that if the 50% tariff is implemented from August 27, India's GDP growth rate for this fiscal year could slow down by about 30 basis points to 6%. However, strong domestic demand and the service sector will alleviate the pressure India faces.

Modi and Trump met at the White House in February, Visual China
"At the age of 74, Modi is experiencing one of the most difficult periods of his 11-year rule," Reuters wrote on the 8th.
The report said that Modi has started to fight back. On the local date of the 7th, Modi stated that he would never sacrifice the interests of Indian farmers, "I am ready. India is ready." According to Indian officials, after Trump imposed the tariff, India suspended its plan to purchase American weapons. At the same time, Modi increased interactions with Russia, China, Brazil and other countries. It is reported that Modi plans to visit China and meet with Russian President Putin.
However, only a day later (on the 8th), a senior official from the Indian Ministry of Defense denied the reports that India had suspended discussions with the US on defense procurement. The official said the reports were "false and fabricated," and "it should be clarified that all procurement matters are proceeding according to the existing procedures."
It is worth mentioning that in the context of the sudden deterioration of US-India relations, there have been many voices in India calling for being friendly towards China.
Indian economist Mihir Sharma wrote in an article published in Bloomberg on the 8th that while Indians are upset about the high tariffs, they also find that the US president seems to target India intentionally, yet dares not bully China. When talking about the news of Modi's possible visit to China, Sharma said this arrangement is not surprising, "the country that Trump dares not bully might also be the only one that can protect India from Trump's oppression."
Against this background, India's re-adjustment of its relationship with China is considered to be a key move that may form a balance against the US.
However, Lin Minwang, a researcher and vice dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, recently told Observer that for India, turning to China and Russia is part of its strategy of playing both sides. He analyzed that how far Modi can improve relations with China, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Russia remains to be observed.
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