Rubio kicks off India trip, meets Modi and joins Quad
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Marco Rubio began his first India visit on May 23, launching a four‑day, four‑city tour in Kolkata with a stop at the Missionaries of Charity headquarters.
- Narendra Modi met Rubio in New Delhi later that Saturday, marking the high‑level diplomatic engagement of the trip.
- Quad foreign ministers (Australia, India, Japan, US) convened before Rubio’s Tuesday departure, a summit framed as a counter to China’s Indian‑Ocean influence.
- Donald Trump had visited China the week before, praising President Xi’s reception and touting a “G2” partnership despite limited concrete outcomes.
- Christopher Landau warned that India’s economic rise must not repeat the commercial “mistakes” the U.S. made with China, emphasizing the need to protect U.S. trade interests.
- Sergio Gor’s arrival as U.S. ambassador earlier this year helped negotiate a trade deal that has improved U.S.–India relations.
Why it matters: India gains a high‑profile U.S. partner willing to boost oil sales and coordinate security, while the United States aims to counter China’s Indian‑Ocean presence and safeguard its trade interests. The Quad meeting reinforces a collective diplomatic front, and Landau’s warning signals U.S. vigilance over future trade imbalances.
