ChinaTalk Emergency Pod: US-India-China Meltdown
52 snips
Sep 8, 2025 
Manoj Kewalramani, a foreign policy expert at the Takshashila Institution, teams up with James Crabtree, author of the insightful Billionaire Raj. They dissect the precarious triangular relationship between the U.S., India, and China. Discussions include the potential rise of U.S. isolationism and its repercussions globally. They also delve into the evolving, and often tense, dynamics of U.S.-India relations, military friction with China, and how Bollywood symbolism reflects these geopolitical shifts.
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Competition, Not Partnership, Drove Beijing
- Expectations that India would partner with China under Modi proved wrong as Beijing chose competitive strategies across borders and Indian Ocean.
- That competition pushed India closer to the U.S., Japan, Australia and other partners.
Shared Strategic Logic, Fragile Politics
- Strategic convergence on governance and economic rules binds U.S.-India elites despite recent ruptures.
- Recent U.S. actions created deep Indian dismay and revived doubts about long-term American reliability.
Humiliation Undermines Future Deals
- Political humiliation and perceived coercion from the U.S. undermine willingness in India to make economic concessions.
- Damage to political trust may persist across a generation even if trade issues are later resolved.
