Source: Global Times
[Special correspondent of the Global Times, Bai Yuan] According to The Economic Times of India on March 3, at the Eighth US-India Strategic Partnership Forum held in Washington DC on February 2, US Commerce Secretary Raimondo claimed that India's procurement of weapons from Russia has caused past US-India relations to be poor, but now India has tended to purchase military equipment from the US, which is greatly beneficial. Raimondo also said that the BRICS countries do not support the US dollar and the US dollar hegemony, yet India has become a member of it, which is not the right way to make friends and exert influence with the US.
Raimondo Material Picture Source: Visual China
The Business Standard of India reported that US President Trump has always openly opposed BRICS, repeatedly warning BRICS not to attempt to establish a new global reserve currency, and even threatened to impose 100%-150% tariffs on them if they did not heed his advice. On February 2, Raimondo praised India's open attitude toward directly addressing US concerns, claiming that Trump clearly pointed out the issues, and India was specifically addressing them, "putting issues on the table, confronting them directly, solving them directly, creating a positive situation, and I think this is our current state."
The Economic Times reported that for a long time, India's reliance on Russian weapons has been a sticking point in US-India relations. Under increasing pressure from the US to sanction Russian companies and urge global partners to distance themselves from Russia, India's arms purchases have drawn much attention. The Hindustan Times reported that Raimondo previously requested India to procure weapons from the US rather than traditional arms procurement partners such as Russia or France. Raimondo also stated at the forum on February 2 that the US and India are expected to reach a bilateral trade agreement soon. Indian Asia News Service cited sources as saying that the US delegation will visit India on June 5 to discuss the bilateral trade agreement with India, and the US and India are expected to sign the bilateral trade agreement before July. However, Indian news anchor Shiusankar posted on social platform X on March 3 warning against trusting Raimondo, who is part of the "US government mafia," and reminding everyone of "who they are doing business with."
The First Post of India believes that Raimondo overlooked specific historical and strategic factors in India's arms procurement and multilateral relations. India's reliance on Russian weapons is rooted in history, not its BRICS membership. During the Cold War, the US allied with Pakistan, providing weapons to counter Soviet influence, naturally leading India to turn to the Soviet Union for arms procurement, thus forming a long-term partnership. The First Post mentioned that in recent years, India's arms purchases have diversified, reducing dependence on Russian equipment. The proportion of Russian equipment in imported equipment has decreased from 76% in 2009 to 36% in 2023, and India has also purchased weapons from Western countries like the US and France.
The First Post also pointed out that people often view India's participation in BRICS through the lens of its relationships with China and Russia. In fact, India uses its position within BRICS to promote global governance reform. By staying within BRICS, India can counterbalance China's influence and ensure that BRICS is not used to promote China's geopolitical ambitions, which is exactly what the US wants. The US should not believe that India's actions go against American interests; acknowledging the complexity of Indian diplomacy could help the US and India engage in deeper and more meaningful cooperation. The article concluded with a sigh, "Unfortunately, Raimondo does not fully understand this."
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511858923259904562/
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