Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs today for Japan and China, visits that come with New Delhi’s ties to Washington fraying.
India’s relations with the US had mostly been improving in recent decades, but the White House’s imposition of hefty tariffs have upended that progress, and New Delhi has looked to expand relationships with other powers while lowering tensions with rivals such as Beijing.
Modi’s priorities will vary over the course of his travels: Ties with Japan are far better than those with China, with which India has several disputes. As a prominent Indian foreign-policy scholar put it, “Expect soaring rhetoric from Tianjin… but look out for tangible progress in the strategic partnership with Tokyo.”
