Ashley J Tellis, senior advisor to the former U.S. Ambassador to India, stated in an interview reported by The Indian Express on September 25 that the Trump administration has undergone a fundamental shift in its positioning towards China, which has led to a dramatic change in its policy towards India. On September 19, Trump signed an executive order significantly increasing H-1B visa fees. Tellis believes the underlying reason for this policy is that Trump no longer sees China as a geopolitical threat but rather as an economic competitor similar to other countries. This assessment, combined with Trump's personal character traits, has caused India to lose its priority status in U.S. foreign policy, instead becoming just one of many issues. In addition, Tellis believes the H-1B visa program may face a fundamental transformation. There are two reasons for Trump's tightening of the H-1B visa: first, some Republicans feel uneasy about foreign immigrants; second, the program affects the wages of native American workers, and the U.S. may no longer freely bring in technical workers through the H-1B visa. To meet labor demand, the U.S. may turn to outsourcing. Regarding the recent fluctuations in U.S.-India relations, Tellis believes that India's restraint is a "wise move." The fact that Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tianjin Summit should not be overinterpreted, as the importance of U.S.-India relations has not undergone a fundamental change. Notably, Tellis proposed three criteria for determining whether U.S.-India relations will restart: first, quickly reaching a trade agreement and reducing India's tariffs on goods exported to the U.S.; second, reaching an understanding on purchasing Russian oil; third, Trump's commitment to attend the Quad leaders' summit in New Delhi. Tellis is optimistic about trade negotiations, but acknowledges that there are still differences between the U.S. and India on the issue of Russian oil, and believes that India needs to make changes. Finally, Tellis suggested that the new U.S. ambassador to India should maintain good relations with the Indian government, engage widely with Indian society, and avoid sensitive issues such as the India-Pakistan relationship.

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