Our weekly newsletter, analysing global stories from an Indian lens
This family photo from the APEC Summit drew significant media attention, with Chinese President Xi Jinping taking a prominent position beside the host, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, while President Biden stood to the side in the background| Source: Reuters
In Focus
Team Trump
As Trump’s cabinet picks “terrify” partners in Europe, New Delhi continues to look upbeat about the future of the US-India relationship. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has been a long-time advocate for strengthening ties with India. Earlier this year, Rubio introduced a bill urging the U.S. to “treat India as if it were of the same status as U.S. allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers.” Trump’s National Security Advisor-in-waiting Mike Waltz, is the co-chair of the India Caucus, and has called for a formal US-India alliance to counter the China-Pakistan nexus. Tulsi Gabbard, the nominee for Director of National Intelligence, has long captured attention in India for her opposition to U.S. involvement in foreign wars and her unapologetic embrace of her Hindu identity, traits widely regarded as refreshing in Indian circles.
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Achtung: German Government Collapse
The European Commission predicts that Germany will be the bloc’s weakest performer in 2025, with growth expected at just 0.7% following a 0.1% contraction this year. Germany’s severe economic challenges contributed to the collapse of its coalition government earlier this month, triggered by differences over recovery strategies. Amid fears of deindustrialisation, parties such as the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) have gained traction as the country prepares for elections in February 2025.
Experts attribute Germany’s current predicament to an ageing population, excessive bureaucracy, risk aversion, and a political culture that has long prioritised corporate interests over national ones.
Mired in a crisis at home, and preparing for a Trump Presidency, Chancellor Scholz got on a call with President Putin last week, —the first in two years—provoking strong reactions from Ukraine and NATO allies.
As Germany takes slow, difficult steps to de-risk its economy from China and become a geopolitical actor, it has begun to look towards India.
PM Modi in Nigeria
PM Modi made a significant stopover in Nigeria, Africa’s fastest-growing economy, before heading to Brazil for the G20 Leaders Summit. This marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 17 years. During the visit, Nigeria conferred its second-highest national honor on PM Modi. Security cooperation and economic ties were likely high on the agenda.
India has been positioning itself as a bridge between the Global South and Global North, with Africa outreach being a critical part of the strategy. India is Nigeria’s largest trading partner, and Nigeria is India's largest trading partner in Africa. India is playing the long game in competing with China, the continent's much larger player, by offering an alternative model of development partnership. PM Modi’s visit comes just as Abuja signed a USD 1.2 billion deal with a Chinese firm to revitalize a gas processing facility. Earlier in September, President Xi had pledged to extend financial assistance of nearly USD 51 billion over three years to Africa.
APEC Summit in Peru
In Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated a massive deep-water port in the city of Chancay, a project expected to attract USD 3.6 billion in investment and create a direct route from China to South America. Chinese companies are heavily involved across this project. At the sidelines of the Summit, Xi told outgoing President Biden that the issues of Taiwan, democracy, and South China Sea are "red lines" for China and guardrails for the relationship: a message arguably meant for incoming President Trump. In another veiled message, Xi criticised economic “protectionism,” attempting to project China as an alternative to looming Trump Tariffs from the US. This comes as China’s export dumping is likely to lead the developing world to follow advanced economies in protecting their markets from China. As the focus moves to the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi’s alternative pitch for the global economy and worries over a Trump 2.0 seem to have dominated the APEC conversation, with President Biden—only two months remaining in office—being pushed to the periphery.
