At this late date, no intelligent adult needs an explanation as to why our economic relationship with China is problematic. Between its predatory nature and the coronavirus and what it exposed about the PRC’s infrastructure, the last thing we need is a deeper economic entanglement with China. It’s good to have options. And, as President Trump visits India, we do have options.
The US has again emerged as India’s largest trading partner, replacing China. China’s trade with India shrunk marginally to $65 billion during April-December 2019 as import of key products such as electronic and electric goods fell.
India’s exports to the US and its imports grew marginally, taking the total goods trade to $68 billion.
While we obviously need a healthy trade balance, the United States needs to be less interdependent with China’s rival economy. And reducing India’s dependency on China is also healthy because it increases our options and reduces China’s influence.
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