US wants to 'put itself first' in trade deal with India: 'Not here to do charity'
Landau's Raisina Dialogue remarks make clear that Washington is determined not to repeat its China mistake — and India should read the fine print carefully
The looming US-India trade deal may be dressed up in the language of partnership, but the subtext from Washington is unmistakable: this agreement will be structured around American gains first, with India's interests a secondary consideration.
That was the thrust of remarks made by US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau at the Raisina Dialogue on Thursday, according to media reports.
Drawing a pointed comparison with China, Landau said the US would not allow history to repeat itself. According to reports, he said India should understand that Washington would not make the same mistakes it made with China two decades ago, when it allowed Beijing access to develop markets that eventually saw China outcompete the US commercially.
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"India should understand that we're not going to make the same mistakes with India that we made with China 20 years ago in terms of saying, Oh, you know, we're going to let you, be able to develop all these markets,' and then the next thing we know, you're beating us in a lot of commercial things. We're going to make sure that whatever we do, it's fair to our people. Because ultimately, we have to be accountable to our own people, just as the government of India has to be accountable to its people," he said.
Not isolation, but calculation
Landau was careful to push back against the notion that the Trump administration's "America First" posture meant turning inward. He said America First does not mean America alone, since one of the ways to achieve national objectives is through cooperation with other countries.
The framing, however, left little ambiguity about the hierarchy of priorities. Landau reportedly said he was not in New Delhi to do social work or charity — he was there because deepening the partnership served American interests, and Washington believed it served India's too.
"I want to highlight the importance of India as we look around the world in the 21st century and see what are the relationships that we really want to cultivate. And again, I'm not here to do social work or charity. I'm here because it's in the interest of our country, and we think it's in the interest of India to deepen our partnership," he was quoted as saying.
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He also positioned national self-interest as a principle that all sovereign governments share. According to reports, he remarked that just as President Trump wants to make America great again, he would expect the prime minister of India and other world leaders to want the same for their own countries.
India's rise, America's opportunity
Landau's remarks were not without flattery for India. He described the country's rise as one of the defining certainties of the 21st century, pointing to its status as the world's most populous nation with vast human and economic potential, according to reports.
He said the US sees multiple win-win situations in expanding the relationship, and that India is among the countries that will shape the future of this century.
On the state of negotiations, Landau offered an optimistic assessment. According to reports, he said both sides were very excited about a trade deal that was almost at the finish line.