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'My phone travels to India with me, never to China': US Senator Steve Daines calls New Delhi a 'trusted ally'
Calling India a “trusted ally and friend”, US Senator Steve Daines highlighted what he described as the stark contrast between Washington's relationships with New Delhi and Beijing during the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington.
Using his own travel habits as an example, the Republican senator said he never takes his phone to China but does so when visiting India. “When I travel to China, my phone does not go to Beijing with me. It stays in Washington. But when I travel to India, this phone comes with me. That is an example of a highly trusted ally and friend,” he said.
Daines, who represents Montana in the US Senate, said Washington should view India as a key strategic partner in responding to challenges posed by China, while stressing that the United States must continue engaging with Beijing. “We can’t disengage from China. We need to engage, we need to de-risk,” he said.
Stressing a stronger cooperation between India and the US, the senator stated: “China produces roughly 3.5 million science and tech graduates every year. The only hope we have to compete globally is India plus the United States. India produces about 2-2.5 million STEM graduates. America does about 1 million."
India-US ties
India-US relations briefly hit a rough patch in August 2025 after the Donald Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, along with an “unspecified penalty” over India's purchases of Russian oil and weapons.
The relationship regained momentum in September after President Trump wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday. PM Modi responded by calling Trump a “friend” and pledged to take the “India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights.”
Since then, both leaders have repeatedly emphasised their commitment to closer bilateral ties and expanded cooperation.
The two countries are also in the final stages of negotiating a trade agreement. Although they agreed on the legal framework of the pact in February, the final deal remains unsigned.