• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Daines says he trusts India more than China, citing phone use.
  2. He advocated stronger US-India strategic partnership against China.
  3. Daines made the remarks at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit.

US Senator from Montana and President Donald Trump’s close ally, Steve Daines on Wednesday said that he trusts India more than China. He used his mobile phone as an example to highlight the difference in his personal experience while travelling to the two countries.

Phone Example To Show Trust Difference

Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington, Daines said the US should strengthen its strategic partnership with India while managing its complex relationship with China. Daines also disclosed that he behaves differently depending on whether he is travelling to China or India, based on trust concerns.

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"When I travel to China, this phone does not go to Beijing with me. It stays on my desk in Washington DC. When I travel to Delhi or anywhere in India, this one is with me," Daines said, as reported by news agency ANI. He emphasised this reflects the level of trust between India and the US. "We need a high-trust counterpoint as we think about what's going on with China," he added.

Daines Call For Stronger India-US Partnership

Daines said the US cannot completely cut ties with China but must reduce risks and strengthen partnerships with trusted allies. "We can't disengage from China. We need to engage, we need to de-risk," he said. He added that India plays a key role in this strategy. Daines said India has the scale and capability to work with the US in competing globally with China.

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"There's only one country in the world that can match the size and scale of China's innovation ecosystem, and it's India working with the United States," he said. He stressed that cooperation between the two countries is essential for global competition. "The only hope we have thinking about globally to compete with that, to build the scale, is going to be India plus the United States," Daines added.

Meanwhile, his remarks also highlight reported distrust, which was evident during Trump’s recent visit to China, when he and his team left behind all Chinese gifts and souvenirs before returning to Washington.

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