Former CIA chief warns the US not to encourage PM Modi to go closer to China.

At a talk on US global leadership, former CIA Director William Burns expressed grave concern that Trump’s India policy would encourage PM Modi to align himself with China‘s Xi.

Former CIA Director William J Burns has cautioned that US policy under President Donald trump risks pushing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi into closer alignment with China, a move he described as deeply concerning.

“It takes a lot of effort to drive Narendra Modi to the point where he’s holding hands with China’s Xi jinping,” Burns said, criticizing Trump’s approach to India. “America has to be really careful about this.”

Burns, who spent decades in US diplomacy and was also head of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, engaged in a comprehensive discussion with Aaron David Miller, a foreign policy commentator. The discussion, entitled “US Leadership in a Challenging World,” examined how Washington should handle the growing instability in the world, ranging from nuclear threats and climate change to the competition with China and Russia.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to Tianjin, China, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the fringes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference on September 1, Burns issued the warning.

A picture of the three presidents together, shaking hands, embracing, and even riding together, made headlines throughout the world and caused the US government to respond sharply.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China, Donald Trump previously claimed that Russia and India seem to have been “lost” to China.

India and Russia appear to have been lost to the darkest, most sinister China. I hope their future together is filled with success and longevity. Trump wrote in a social media post, sharing a photo of the three leaders at Xi’s summit.

After Trump imposed 50% tariffs on New Delhi last month—25% base duty plus an additional 25% for India’s ongoing imports of Russian oil—the relationship between the US and India reached a low point. Washington accused India of “profiteering” and supporting Moscow’s conflict, but New Delhi denied the accusation, claiming that Russian crude benefits its citizens.

Trump imposed 50% tariffs on New Delhi last month, which included a 25% base levy and an additional 25% for India’s ongoing imports of Russian oil, which caused relations between the US and India to deteriorate. New Delhi denied the accusation, claiming that Russian crude serves the interests of its people, while Washington accused India of “profiteering” and supporting Moscow’s conflict.

The India-US ties hit a low after Trump slapped 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi last month – 25 per cent base duty plus another 25 per cent over India’s continued Russian oil imports. While Washington accused India of aiding Moscow’s war and “profiteering”, New Delhi rejected the charge, saying Russian crude serves its people’s interests.