QUAD agenda to play 'crucial role' in dealing with 'adversary' China: US trade body chief

The United States had recently reiterated its belief that not only was China their greatest rival but that it also posed the same challenges to the USA's Indo-Pacific allies like India. Commenting on the same, Mukesh Aghi, the President and CEO of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said that the economic strategy of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) plays an important role, and India and US should further lead the economic agenda underneath the QUAD umbrella. 

Aghi went on to say that the QUAD, which includes the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, will perform a crucial role in defining how to deal with the Chinese threat internationally, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Talking to ANI, Aghi said, “The Biden administration has decided, along with Republicans, that China is an adversary... On a bigger QUAD perspective, the economic agenda plays a very critical role.” Aghi further added that it is critical to essentially push the economic agenda under the QUAD banner and pick up the important issues from India and the US side to work on those.   

Trump-administration was close to reaching 'mini trade deal' with India: Mukesh Aghi

In addition to this, in the month of September, President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to restart the bilateral economic forum, which had been dormant since 2018. Despite the fact that Indian authorities are interested in negotiating a minor bilateral trade agreement, Washington is more concerned with boosting the US economy. 

As per ANI, Aghi stated that the former Republican government, headed by Donald Trump, was "very close" to reaching a "mini trade deal with India," but that US politics are now "much more complicated." 

"The issue now is much more complicated, it's about data localization, it's is about data protection, it's about privacy. So the complexity is much bigger than what it was five years, 10 years," Aghi said.  

Katherine Tai to visit India from November 22 to strengthen economic connections

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai is currently visiting with her counterparts in Japan, South Korea, and India, but not China. The parties would address the economic matters as well as demonstrate how the Biden administration is working to strengthen economic connections in the area, notably with India. 

The 10-day travel of Tai will take her to three Asian nations, where she will meet with her peers and other stakeholders. Following meetings with top Japanese officials and labour leaders on Wednesday and Thursday, the top US official will go to Seoul to meet with her colleagues and will visit India from November 22 to attend the US-India Trade Policy Forum. 

Meanwhile, US Consul General Judith Ravin stated that the economic connections between the US and India have indeed been exceptional, with trade increasing from roughly $20 billion in 2001 to over $145 billion in 2019. The statistics for 2021, according to an American source quoted by PTI, show a robust resurgence in bilateral commerce between the two nations. 

(Image: ANI)