US Secretary of State visits India in an effort to strengthen US-India relations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a visit to India to strengthen the partnership between the two countries, with discussions focusing on trade, energy, and defense cooperation. He will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This is Rubio's first visit to India. The State Department said Rubio's four-day trip, which began on Saturday (May 23), will include visits to Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi. He first visited the Mother Teresa charity in the eastern city of Kolkata.

A week earlier, U.S. and Chinese leaders held a friendly summit in Beijing, and Rubio's trip aimed to revitalize relations with India, a usually like-minded partner.

U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor wrote that the visit demonstrates that the relationship between the two countries is "built not only on strong policies, but also on shared values."

According to AFP, Rubio and his wife Janet traveled to New Delhi and are scheduled to meet with Modi on Saturday.

Before leaving on Tuesday, Rubio will also attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Quad – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. China has long been wary of the Quad, claiming it is intended to encircle China and has condemned India's involvement.

Rubio's visit comes at a time when President Trump is shifting away from traditional American priorities. Trump made a state visit to China last week, and although he didn't make many specific statements, he still expressed appreciation for the hospitality shown by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump referred to the US and China as a “G2” in Beijing. This notion has fallen out of favor in recent years as US allies have worried about being excluded from negotiations with Beijing in Washington.

At the same time, the United States is growing closer to Pakistan, India’s rival, especially as Pakistan has recently become a key mediator in the war with Iran, adding a new stimulus to US-India relations.

Rubio said on the 21st that the United States hopes to sell more energy to India that it is willing to buy, and added that there is still much work to be done with India.

Reuters quoted Basant Sanghera of the consulting firm The Asia Group as saying that Trump's trip to Beijing this month has deepened India's concerns about its relationship with the United States. Sanghera, a former State Department expert on South Asia policy, said Trump's actions "triggered a perfect storm of anxiety," but relations have stabilized and both sides are trying to make progress in areas of common understanding.

Source: [Lianhe Zaobao] (https://www.zaobao.com/news/world/story20260523-9096042)