US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard capped off a two-day visit to India praising the "huge opportunities" for US-India ties, even as President Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy sets off alarm bells among Washington's partners around the world.
Gabbard, the first high-level official from Trump's second administration to visit India, told a security conference in New Delhi this week that Trump's "commitment" to ensuring peace and security is rooted in "realism" and "pragmatism."
Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue, Gabbard said that like Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also committed to putting his country "first."
"But this should not be misunderstood to mean that 'America first' is America alone," Gabbard said, using one of Trump's most-popular slogans. "The relationships we build together are critical to advance our mutual interests."
Gabbard, who is at the head of 18 US intelligence agencies, told the strategic conference that achieving peace "requires leaders who challenge the established view or, the way things have always been done."
Trump best friend in Asia?
During her remarks, Gabbard referred to Modi and Trump as "great friends." The leaders met last month in Washington for talks including trade and defense ties. After meeting Gabbard, Modi said in a statement that he looked forward to welcoming Trump to India later this year. Modi also joined Trump's "Truth Social" social media platform on Tuesday.
Commenting on Trump's threat to introduce more tariffs in early April, which would also affect India, Gabbard told the ANI news agency there was "direct dialogue at the very top," and that Trump and Modi were working on solutions that take the economic interests of both countries into account.
In an online post, Modi said he and Gabbard discussed sharing commitments to "combating terrorism and enhancing maritime and cyber security cooperation."
Chietigj Bajpaee, senior fellow for South Asia at the Chatham House think tank, told DW that Gabbard's visit "indicates the priority that Washington is attaching to its relationship with India."
The challenge of the Indo-Pacific
The US maintains a network of alliances in the Indo-Pacific, a strategic mega-region comprising the Indian Ocean around India, the South China Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean.
Gabbard is a former congresswoman from Hawaii who was born on the island of American Samoa. The US security chief is a practicing Hindu who has maintained ties with India, including as a member of the House India Caucus during her time as a congresswoman. She has also faced criticism for her alleged support of the "Hindutva," or Hindu nationalist movement.
On Tuesday, she told reporters in New Delhi that the Indo-Pacific is the "geopolitical centre of gravity for the 21st century."
So far, language on the Indo-Pacific used by the Trump administration has remained consistent with that of the previous administration, with the State Department emphasizing the need to maintain a "free and open" region.
Under President Xi Jinping, China has built the world's largest navy by number of ships. Beijing also claims most of the South China Sea — a vital chokepoint for global trade — as China's territory.
Trump has also remained ambiguous on US commitment to defending Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province, even as Beijing increases pressure on the self-ruled island following the election of President Lai Ching-te.
India and US: Partnership with no strings attached?
Although India is not formally allied with the US, it does share an interest in containing China.
This is reflected in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or "Quad," which comprises Australia and Japan along with the US and India. The platform allows for informal coordination of strategic approaches in the Indo-Pacific, without the binding commitments that come along with alliances.
Ahead of the strategy conference, Gabbard met with Modi and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh for what the minister described as "wide ranging talks that included cooperation on defense and intelligence."
During his talks with Gabbard, Defense Minister Singh also requested that the US label a Sikh separatist group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), as a terrorist organization. In 2023, the US said Indian intelligence officers were behind a plot to assassinate an SFJ leader on US soil. India has denied involvement.
