US must be careful not to push PM Modi into Xi’s embrace, warns ex-CIA chief

America has to be really careful about this, warned the former CIA chief.

The U.S. policy under President Donald Trump could inadvertently drive Prime Minister Narendra Modi into Beijing’s embrace, former CIA Director William J Burns has cautioned, describing the development as “deeply concerning.”

“It takes a lot of effort to drive Narendra Modi to the point where he’s holding hands with China’s Xi Jinping,” Burns noted.

He made the comments during a conversation with foreign policy analyst Aaron David Miller at an event titled US Leadership in a Challenging World. The discussion examined how Washington can steer through mounting global turbulence, from the threats posed by climate change and nuclear weapons to intensifying strategic competition with China and Russia.

“America has to be really careful about this," warned the former CIA chief.

Burns, who also led the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace after decades in diplomacy, raised the alarm days after PM Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

At the summit, the Prime Minister was photographed alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, sharing handshakes and public camaraderie, images that quickly made it to the global spotlight and provoked sharp reactions in Washington.

President Trump himself had reacted bluntly on social media, declaring: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

In August, Washington doubled duties on Indian exports to 50 percent, adding a 25 percent penalty linked to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian crude. While US officials accused India of “profiteering” from Moscow’s war, New Delhi strongly defended its position, stressing the need to secure affordable energy for the world’s third-largest oil consumer.

However, despite the escalating trade tensions, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone this week.

In the early hours of Wednesday, he announced on his Truth Social platform that Washington and New Delhi would resume negotiations to resolve outstanding trade barriers.

“I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations,” Trump wrote. “I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!”

Just hours later, PM Modi welcomed the overture in a post on X.

“India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest,” he noted.

Notably, Trump’s remarks mark a possible thaw after weeks of turbulence.

Earlier, on September 5, he had acknowledged he would “always be friends” with PM Modi, even as he criticized the Indian leader’s participation in the SCO summit alongside Xi and Putin.