US Needs India to Counter China in Indo-Pacific, Says Former Adviser Mary Kissel

Ex-Pompeo aide underscores India’s indispensable role amid rising tensions with China, Russia, and recent US tariffs on Indian imports.

Washington DC, September 3: Former US senior adviser Mary Kissel has stressed that the United States cannot take on China’s growing dominance in the Indo-Pacific without India’s support. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Kissel, who earlier served as a senior aide to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said Washington must strengthen its partnership with New Delhi if it truly intends to counter Beijing’s assertive push in the region.

“If we are really serious about considering Communist China the greatest threat to the United States and our way of life, we need India. It’s just a fact. We can’t fight them alone in the Asia-Pacific,” she stated.

Her comments come at a time when Washington has imposed steep tariffs on Indian imports — a 50% levy, including an additional 25% surcharge linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. These economic frictions have added new layers of complexity to bilateral relations.

Kissel’s remarks coincided with the recently concluded 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi and Xi Jinping acknowledged the stabilising role played by their economies in the global trade order, while also noting progress in their bilateral ties since the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024.

During his meeting with President Putin, PM Modi reiterated the strength of the India-Russia partnership, highlighting that both nations have always stood “shoulder to shoulder” in difficult times.

Kissel warned, however, that India’s active engagement at the SCO poses a fresh challenge for the Trump administration as it works to balance relations while confronting China’s aggressive posture. “We need the heft of not just Australia, not just our friends in Japan, but also India. I think this meeting is highlighting a major challenge for the Trump administration,” she noted.

Her sharp reminder underscores the reality that despite trade disputes, Washington’s ability to effectively check Beijing’s growing influence may ultimately depend on New Delhi’s strategic partnership.