India Must Avoid Being Used In US Strategy Against China, Says Economist Jeffrey Sachs
Renowned economist and UN advisor Professor Jeffrey Sachs has cautioned India against becoming embroiled in the US's geopolitical strategies, particularly amid growing tensions with China. Speaking at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025 on Wednesday, Sachs warned that India should avoid being used as a tool in Washington's efforts to counter Beijing.
Sachs expressed concern that the US seeks to push India into criticising China, positioning such actions as part of a broader American agenda. He urged India to pursue an independent foreign policy and not be swayed by external pressures, according to a Business Standard report.
“The US wants to use India to beat up China,” Sachs stated. “Don’t play the American game… India is too big for a US game.” He added that Washington has long aimed to create divisions between nations to maintain its global influence, and now India is being positioned as a counterbalance to China.
“The US wants to use India, clearly. It wants to use India to beat up China,” Sachs noted.
Sachs acknowledged the existing disputes between India and China but stressed that resolving them through bilateral dialogue would be beneficial for both nations. "I know India and China have their own issues, but settle them,” he said. “Between the two of you, you’re 40 per cent of the world’s population, and you could actually help to run a very decent world together. Don’t get caught in it,” Sachs warned.
Strategic Alliances Like Quad Serve US Interests
Sachs also criticised India’s participation in strategic groupings like the Quad, suggesting that these alliances primarily benefit US interests.
“So the US loves for India to be in the Quad. It wants India to bash China. I heard some Indian politicians recently saying, no, it’s not Donald Trump’s trade policy, it’s all because of China. No, not exactly. It’s actually because of Donald Trump. So just be careful not to play the game… India is too big for a US game,” he added.
US Friendship
Sachs warned that the US is driven by a deep fear of losing global dominance. He described US foreign policy as one focused on control, often at the cost of its allies. “If you’re a friend of the United States, beware. Very dangerous,” Sachs remarked, as per the report.
“I’ve lived a whole lifetime in America declaring its friendship to countries that end up getting destroyed in part because of that wonderful friendship.” Sachs also pointed out that both China and India have emerged as major economies despite their colonial pasts. “India was the largest or second-largest economy in the world for centuries until the British arrived and did their job for quite a while,” he said.
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Rising India May Face US Resentment
Sachs also suggested that as India continues to rise economically, it could face the same resentment from the US that China has encountered. “Americans hate China. They hate China—how dare you have a bigger economy than the United States? This violates every rule according to American thinking, and they will come to resent India, I’m sorry to tell you, as you overtake the United States too,” he warned, the report added.
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