【By Guo Jian, Observer Net】"Under the heavy tariffs from the United States, India has turned to be close to China and Russia. We have entered a state of high alert." The American website "Politico" published an article on September 4, stating that in recent weeks, anti-American sentiment in India reached its peak due to U.S. tariffs, and the relationship between the two countries fell to the lowest point in several decades. Analysts pointed out that whether it is purchasing Russian oil or tariff issues, only a face-to-face communication between U.S. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi could ease the tension and restart trade negotiations.

The article mentioned that during Modi's visit to China this week, he shook hands and took photos with the leaders of China and Russia, a scene that contrasts sharply with the worries, uncertainties, and even feelings of betrayal brought by the United States to India. The Associated Press also noticed that during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the leaders of China, Russia, and India were also chatting enthusiastically.

"Although the resumption of contact between China and India had already begun before Trump took office, his policies are accelerating this process. It seems that India is cooperating more closely with China and Russia to counter the U.S. economic unipolarity," said Hash Pant, Vice President of Foreign Policy at the Indian Observatory Foundation (ORF).

As for the White House, they just shrugged their shoulders symbolically. The White House tried to show a nonchalant attitude towards Modi's "intimate interaction" displayed on social media. Former officials from the U.S. and India, Indian media, and even the Indian military indirectly emphasized the poor state of bilateral relations, some people believe it is the lowest point in decades.

Photo of Modi and Putin traveling together during the visit to China.

Due to India's large-scale purchase of Russian oil, the United States increased the tariff on Indian exported goods to 50% last month. Despite this, the White House did not further escalate the confrontation with India. Trump still expressed dissatisfaction with India's trade practices and the purchase of Russian oil, but also sent signals to mend the relationship. He told reporters in the Oval Office on the 2nd that the relationship between the United States and India was "very good", but complained that the relationship was "too one-sided".

A White House official said that when talking about India, Trump always couldn't avoid the issue of tariffs. Of course, he also talked about how he and Modi have cooperated on many other issues, but "nothing has actually changed".

This White House official also did not rule out the possibility of Trump and Modi meeting at the United Nations in New York this month.

Meanwhile, anti-American sentiment in India over tariffs has reached a climax, with continuous calls for a boycott of American products. The Indian military even implied on social media that the relationship between the two countries had deteriorated to the level of the situation in 1971 when the United States sent a naval fleet into the Bay of Bengal to intimidate India during the India-Pakistan war.

"The current relationship between the two countries is really unstable," said Lisa Curtis, former senior director for South Asia at the U.S. National Security Council. "The U.S.-India relationship is in a state of high alert."

After attending the SCO Tianjin Summit, Modi posted on his social media account photos of him hugging Putin and traveling with him, saying that the two countries "discussed methods to deepen bilateral cooperation in all areas, including trade, fertilizers, space, security, and culture," and called this relationship "a special and priority strategic partnership."

"India is sending a signal that it still has options to adjust its diplomatic relations when facing economic shocks," said Syed Akbaruddin, former Indian ambassador to the United Nations.

The Indian embassy in the United States declined to comment.

However, the report stated that India cannot quickly shift billions of dollars worth of goods originally destined for the United States to the Russian or Chinese markets in the short term.

Some supporters of U.S.-India relations still hope that if Trump and Modi meet face-to-face this month, it may ease the tension and lead to the trade agreement that Trump previously claimed would be "imminently concluded."

"There must be some form of communication between the two leaders to get things back on track," said Mark Linscott, a former negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. "Both sides need to reach some consensus on India's purchase of Russian oil and related tariffs and restart the talks on reciprocal trade agreements. I don't think these issues can be resolved without communication between the leaders."

Trump repeatedly insisted that he played the role of a "peace mediator" after the brief India-Pakistan conflict in May and used this to campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize. However, India has consistently maintained that it does not accept external intervention, believing that disputes with Pakistan must be resolved directly between the two parties. Modi also reiterated this point when he spoke with Trump in June. Modi also has to consider domestic politics; he doesn't want to appear as if he needs America to deal with his opponents.

The differences between the U.S. and India on the issue of Russian oil are also prominent. Some senior officials in the Trump administration criticized Indian oil companies for profiting from Russian oil, while India believes it is unfair to single it out.

On September 1, Trump also posted on the "Truth Social" platform, attacking India for being "completely one-sided" in trade with the U.S. and buying a large amount of energy and military equipment from Russia.

Sriram Sandal Jolly, an expert on international affairs at the Krea International Institute of India, said that the interaction with China and Russia shows that India values its long-term reliable strategic partners and has enough strategic autonomy in foreign policy to maintain and strengthen multi-layered partnerships.

At the same time, Jolly said that the Indian government hopes the current tensions between India and the U.S. are just a temporary anomaly. "Then, India can happily return to the situation where it 'enjoys the cake of Russia and the pie of the U.S.', which is part of its multi-polar alliance strategy," he said.

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