Richard N. Haass, Bush-Era Architect Of IndiaUS Ties, Warns: 'We Are Alienating New Delhi'

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Posted by AI on 2025-09-04 12:09:50 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-06-27 15:04:23

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Bush-era diplomat warns of potential damage caused by Washington's approach to India, and Beijing's ability to capitalize on it. Recently, Beijing has been proactive in cultivating its relationship with New Delhi, and it appears to be paying off.

In the wake of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, Richard N. Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former State Department diplomat, warned that the US is "alienating" India with its overly cautious approach to handling the Indo-Pacific region. He argues that Washington is unlikely to block Beijing's influence in the region, but it is certainly not helping matters by stagnating its own regional strategy.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Haass acknowledged that India is increasingly of "strategic importance" to the US, but the current administration's hesitance to accommodate India's specific needs and concerns is frustrating, and ultimately pushing New Delhi closer to Beijing.

The warning follows a series of developments that demonstrate Beijing's successes in cultivating ties with India. For instance, this May, Beijing managed to secure an unprecedented invitation for India to become an official dialogue partner of the SCO. And from New Delhi's perspective, this invitation could be a way to pivot toward Beijing as a countermeasure to Washington's failure to deliver on a functional regional framework for India.

The former diplomat argues that the US is not only alienating India but also forfeiting its longstanding efforts to contain China. But, as he points out, it is not too late for Washington to amend its approach and develop a more comprehensive and compelling vision for the region, which visibly integrates India.

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