Eric Garcetti, US ambassador to India, emphasises American trust in New Delhi amid China threats

Addressing a critical concern in India-US bilateral ties on Thursday, Washington’s leading diplomat in New Delhi unequivocally affirmed trust in India, particularly regarding the complex dynamics with China and Russia.

Eric Garcetti, who assumed the role of US ambassador to India in May last year, also urged liberating the American foreign policy from “unconscious paternalism” in speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York.

He advocated for fostering an “equal relationship,” underscoring the valuable lessons and collaborative opportunities that can be gleaned from India in addressing the threats posed by China.

“When I go [to the US Congress] and they’re like, ‘India needs to be with us on China,’ I am like, they are the ones who banned TikTok, whether you agree or not, like four years ago. They’re the ones who just lost soldiers on the front lines in 2020. They’re the ones who every single day are blocking and tackling and trying to engage with China,” Garcetti said, emphasising the importance of the US learning from and cooperating with New Delhi.

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With over 200 million users, India stood as TikTok’s largest market until June 2020, when the government banned the video-sharing platform, alongside 58 other Chinese apps. This decision followed a border clash in the disputed Himalayan region that claimed the lives of approximately 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Meanwhile, the US has talked about banning TikTok since 2020 because of data security and disinformation concerns. US President Joe Biden recently signed legislation giving the Chinese-owned platform a year to secure an American buyer, failing which it faces a nationwide ban. TikTok sued