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Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Rubio makes first visit to Asia as Trump tariffs loom
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers remarks at a meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo KUALA LUMPUR - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Southeast Asian counterparts on Thursday in his first visit to Asia since taking office, and will try to reassure them the region is a priority for Washington, even as President Donald Trump targets it in his global tariff offensive. Washington's top diplomat will meet in Kuala Lumpur with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose ministers are gathering there this week, and with senior Malaysian government officials, the State Department said. He will also take part in broader meetings involving ASEAN and its partners. The trip is part of an effort to renew U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific and look beyond the conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed much of the Trump administration's attention, with Rubio balancing dual responsibilities as secretary of state and national security adviser. However, Trump's global tariff strategy is likely to cast a shadow over the trip, after the president announced steep tariffs to take effect on August 1 on six ASEAN members, including Malaysia, as well as on close Northeast Asian allies Japan and South Korea. Rubio will nevertheless seek to firm up U.S. relationships with partners and allies, who have been unnerved by the tariffs, and is likely to press the case that the United States remains a better partner than China, Washington's main strategic rival, experts said. "This is significant, and it's an effort to try to counter that Chinese diplomatic and economic offensive," said Victor Cha, president of the geopolitics and foreign policy department at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are also expected to join from Thursday, but it was unclear if Rubio would meet either. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Asia Dr M at 100: Still haunted by the Malay Dilemma World Trump issues tariff notices to 7 minor trading partners, hits Brazil with 50% tariff Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Asia South Korean court orders arrest of ex-president Yoon: Yonhap Singapore Singaporean fugitive arrested in Thailand for suspected drug trafficking and handed over to CNB Singapore Govt watching job situation for fresh graduates closely, exploring further support: Gan Siow Huang Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months 'BETTER LATE THAN NEVER' A senior State Department official told reporters on Monday that among Rubio's priorities on the trip was reaffirming Washington's commitment to the region, not just for its sake but because it promotes American prosperity and security. "It's kind of late, because we're seven months into the administration," Cha said of Rubio's trip. "Usually, these happen much sooner. But then again, it is extraordinary circumstances. But I guess better late than never." Security cooperation is a top priority, including the strategic South China Sea, and combating transnational crime, narcotics, scam centers, and trafficking in persons, said the State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. As well as their unease about Trump's tariff policies, many in the Indo-Pacific have doubts about the willingness of his "America First" administration to fully engage diplomatically and economically with the region. Trump said this week he would impose a 25% tariff on Japan and South Korea and also took aim at ASEAN nations, announcing a 25% levy on Malaysia, 32% on Indonesia, 36% on Cambodia and Thailand, and 40% on Laos and Myanmar. Trump has also upset another key Indo-Pacific ally, Australia, which said on Wednesday it was "urgently seeking more detail" on his threat to raise tariffs to 200% on pharmaceutical imports. According to a draft joint communique seen by Reuters, ASEAN foreign ministers will express "concern over rising global trade tensions and growing uncertainties in the international economic landscape, particularly the unilateral actions relating to tariffs." The draft, dated on Monday, before the latest U.S. tariff rates were announced, did not mention the United States and used language similar to an ASEAN leaders' statement in May. Both said tariffs were "counterproductive and risk exacerbating global economic fragmentation." The State Department official said Rubio would be prepared to discuss trade and reiterate that the need to rebalance U.S. trade relationships is significant. The export-reliant ASEAN is collectively the world's fifth-biggest economy, with some members beneficiaries of supply chain realignments from China. Only Vietnam has secured a deal with Trump, which lowers the levy to 20% from 46% initially. REUTERS
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First Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
Rare earth and the Indo-Pacific: Why Quad must take lead over China
China's dominance in the rare earth elements supply chain is not geology but geopolitics that has combined industrial policies with frontier engagements, it's time Quad should have challenged it read more Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of their meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad at the State Department in Washington, DC, US, Reuters On June 27, 2025, the United States-China trade war came to a truce after China promised to lift Rare Earth Elements (REE) export restrictions while the US promised to lift restrictions on China. In an era powered by semiconductors and driven by data, the obscure group of 17 elements that constitute the REE are indispensable to clean energy, semiconductors, advanced defence systems, everyday technology appliances, and digital infrastructure, forming the foundation of the very technologies driving 21st-century economies and therefore holding immense strategic value. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These elements are not necessarily 'rare' in terms of abundance, but their extraction and processing are highly complex and energy intensive. The transition towards REE is not merely technological but rather geopolitical, as the world is moving towards clean energy, digital sovereignty, and next-generation defence capabilities along with innovations in everyday technology products. The REE has not only become a symbol of national resilience but is also at the epicentre of resource diplomacy, industrial policy, and efforts to decouple from overreliance on singular suppliers. Role of Individual Quad Members The Quad is an alliance of Australia, Japan, India, and the United States formed in 2017 to promote a rules-based Indo-Pacific. Therefore, Quad members should also play a positive role in building a resilient REE supply chain through leveraging their own legislation. India's approach has undergone a significant shift in recent years. India recently launched the National Critical Minerals Mission so as to establish a reliable framework and self-reliance in critical minerals and is working on a Rare Earth Minerals Scheme to counter China's dominance in the REE supply chain. This, combined with India's Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) to enhance India's manufacturing capacity and foster innovation, shows that India wants to be an active participant in building a resilient supply chain. This repositioning helps Asean and Central Asian countries, as India can emerge as a counterbalance to Chinese influence by helping these countries with technology and skill development and investing in connectivity projects. Australia plays a critical role as the Quad's upstream actor. Australia's Critical Mineral Strategy 2023-2030 mimics India's policies of reducing the monopoly of China in the REE supply chain and developing midstream processing and overseas partnerships—the prominent example being developing terbium oxide in Malaysia. The United States too has adopted a multi-pronged approach to REE strategy through the Defence Production Act and the DOE Critical Minerals Hub and by adopting legislation like the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act for reshoring manufacturing and reducing Chinese dependence. Japan's experience from 2010 and its diversification of supply chain to reduce rare earth supplies from China, along with its investments overseas in Vietnam, Australia, and India, along with stockpiling, showcases that the Quad has the impetus to lead a resource framework to build a resilient supply chain for REE, even though recently India is attempting its deal with Japan to conserve its own REEs due to China's export squeeze. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China's Dominance in REE and Use of Bilateral Relations China produces approximately 70 per cent of the world's rare earth output and controls 90 per cent of the processing. This dominance is not due to a monopoly over reserves but decades of state-led planning. China long ago realised that the control over critical minerals would translate into geopolitical leverage; therefore, they pursued an effective strategy to build dominance in producing and refining REEs. A key enabler of this dominance has been China's deep engagement with its neighbouring country Myanmar, which has rich reserves of dysprosium and terbium. Dysprosium enhances magnets in electric vehicles and wind turbines, serves in nuclear reactor control rods, and improves laser materials, while terbium is used in green phosphors for LED displays, energy-efficient lighting, NdFeB magnets, wind turbines, electric vehicles, sensors, and lasers. The unregulated supply of REEs from Myanmar due to the civil war and impunity with which Chinese companies operate in the Kachin and Shan regions in Myanmar have also contributed to the Chinese dominance in the rare earth supply chain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China is also leveraging its Belt and Road Initiative to access untapped mineral reserves in Central Asia. Central Asian countries are believed to possess REE reserves; however, the data is unreliable and outdated, and in some cases, the data used is that of the Soviet era. These countries suffer from weak institutional safeguards and lack processing capacities, and their economies are driven by raw resource exports. Connectivity constraints further hinder Central Asia's ability to develop their mineral reserves and export them at scale. The region is landlocked, has poor infrastructure, limited cross-border integration, and weak logistics. Consequently, China's BRI, which promises development as well as integration, has positioned them in an advantageous position, as it gives them access and logistics to tap into Central Asia's reserves. China has also expanded its role in the REE supply chain through strategic investments in the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, which have substantial reserves of REE but lack production and refining capacities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Vietnam, which suffers from unreliable data and unclear environmental safeguards, Chinese state-owned enterprises have signed deals to develop Vietnam's REE reserves, which Vietnam has welcomed as it lacks the processing technology. In Malaysia, Chinese have promised Malaysians technology that enhances their REE processing, as Malaysia lacks the capacity to process. Thailand too lacks processing capacities. Therefore, China's dominance in the REE supply chain is not geology but geopolitics that has combined industrial policies with frontier engagements. From taking advantage of the uncertainty in Myanmar, lack of infrastructure and data in Central Asia, and lack of processing capacity in Southeast Asia, China has built its dominance in the REE supply chain. To counterbalance China's dominance in the REE supply chain, the Quad (Australia, Japan, India, and the US) must play a prominent role in establishing a resource mechanism to stabilise the supply chain. Towards a Resilient Supply Chain The recent tightening of REE exports by China is reminiscent of the 2010 episode when China blocked rare earth exports to Japan after a territorial dispute. Although the ban lasted a few weeks, it served as a wake-up call to Japan to reconfigure its supply chain and reduce its dependence on China for REEs. Today, when the world is moving to clean energy and hi-tech defence technologies that are dependent on REEs, the stakes cannot be higher, with one country dominating the REE supply chain. The Quad, comprising Australia, Japan, India, and the US, must lead this effort. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Each Quad member brings a distinct strength to spearhead this effort—Australia's vast reserves, Japan's experience in 2010 and processing innovation, India's monazite reserves and emerging manufacturing base, and the US's technical expertise. These complementary qualities, along with belief in a rules-based order and a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific, make the Quad an alternative to establish a credible resource mechanism to regulate the supply chain, democratise access, and bring transparency to the supply chain. These countries can also play a greater role through the existing Supply Chain Resilience Initiative ( SCRI), which was initiated to strengthen supply chain resilience and mitigate supply chain disruptions. Integrating REEs into their agenda would elevate the Quad's strategic relevance and enhance its operational impact. As REEs become central to clean energy transitions, semiconductors, and hi-tech defence systems, China's monopoly, especially in processing, poses a geopolitical as well as economic risk, as evidenced by the recent export squeeze. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Therefore, integrating REEs in SCRI has become a necessity rather than an option. SCRI should be leveraged to harmonise standards, coordinate investments, and foster ethical mining practices in the Indo-Pacific. In ASEAN and Central Asian countries, SCRI and, broadly, the Quad should help with data modernisation, development of processing capacities, technology transfer, and building skill capacity. This would help in reducing dependence on China and establishing a much more resilient supply chain where everyone has access to REEs and where these smaller countries can become credible partners. In Myanmar, an alternative investment framework should be prioritised, as the country is going through a turmoil where both ethnic armed organisations and the government are engaged. There should also be an arrangement for third-country processing of Myanmar's dysprosium and terbium so as to not disrupt the technology sector worldwide. Conclusion China's calculus to dominate the REE supply chain has been deliberate and strategic and has been fostered through not only boosting its own production but also through partnerships that complement industrial policies and frontier engagement. The reaction of the rest of the world has been fragmented, and the 2010 crisis with Japan should have been an eye-opener. However, now it is imperative that the Quad must take the lead to establish a resource framework and leverage its domestic policies to build a resilient REE supply chain that is accessible and transparent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is Research Fellow, India Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
First Post
04-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
As Nato and Brics falter, the Quad still retains its edge
The present Quad statement is far more focused and indicates a definite thrust of activity that is clearly focused on the China threat read more Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of their meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad at the State Department in Washington, DC, US, Reuters From the number of plurilateral meetings taking place, it would seem that the world is shifting to top gear to deal with the many changes taking place. Most recently was the Quad meeting of foreign ministers in Washington, which includes the US, Japan, Australia, and India. Prior to that was the summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) that saw the usual photo spread of smiling leaders, and soon to be held is the Brics summit in Brazil, hosting leaders from Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the original members, and a host of others who have since joined. But take a look at the details. Never was the world so torn apart and, apparently, so ineffective. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nato's not got much to say Take the Nato joint statement. Never in its history has there been such a short joint statement that says little or nothing about ongoing wars and promises so much that is unrealistic. In the first instance, it merely mentions Russia as a 'long-standing' threat to its security, says nothing at all on the Israel-Iran war, and devotes the rest of the statement to parsing the commitment to raise their defence expenditure from the earlier 2 per cent of GDP to a rousing 5 per cent. That's a huge jump considering that some 23 of 32 members crept up to even this target only this year, with Nato as a whole spending some 2.61 per cent of its entire (considerable) GDP. Ironically, it's the US that spends the least. As Nato's European countries commit to this increased spending — retaining a hold on a part of this percentage for infrastructure, innovation, and other measures to ensure a strong industrial base, and another part for 'hard' security. In other words, it's going to be a mess, especially as the growth figures for the European Union were literally stalling, with a modest increase of 1.5 per cent expected in 2026. Though the Nato secretary General Mark Rutte led a cringeworthy praise of Trump for bombing Iran — even at one time calling him 'Daddy' — the overall reaction has been hugely negative. Again, as Chinese media rather gleefully pointed out, leaders of South Korea, Japan, and Australia chose not to attend. But that's not a reflection of a lack of unity in the Indo-Pacific; for most it's a question of tariffs, and for Tokyo, it's a preference, for obvious reasons, for upholding international law (rather than the Chinese interpretation of it). Quad sails on, more or less Then there was the Quad joint presser, chaired by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stressed again that it was not 'a security matter' but also education and business, with top corporate honchos meeting to discuss the ability to ensure global supply chains and rare earths, among other issues like education, which makes the whole thing a bit of a mystery to many. There's no doubt at all that Rubio himself, and possibly his president, are committed to the Quad, given that it was the first meeting — as Rubio pointed out — that the new administration held. In the live presser India's foreign secretary stressed freedom of choice even while stating unequivocally that India expected 'victims and perpetrators' of terrorism not to be equated and expected partners to understand that India will exercise its right to defend itself. In the event, the joint statement mentioned Pahalgam, though it did not mention Pakistan. It, however, did carry very strong language on China, pretty much a repetition of earlier such statements in terms of threats in the South China Sea and intimidatory tactics. Apparently it's acceptable to 'name and shame' China, but not Pakistan. The main difference seems to be that there is an adherence to an actual work plan in four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Remember that the last essentially included interoperability to be able to operate together in any 'emergency'; therefore, the importance of the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (where India's long peninsula jutting into the Pacific is critical) and a new Quad Critical Minerals Initiative. Missing is the usual long litany of a thousand tasks, which raises hopes that Quad has finally found its feet. Don't forget that while Operation Sindoor was ongoing, a Quad tabletop exercise was ongoing in Hawaii, and just after that, a US-India Working Group meeting on aircraft carrier cooperation was held in Delhi on May 20, which also ties in with Quad ambitions. Then just a day ago (July 2) was the first-ever Coast Guard observer mission at sea. It seems things are going places. Ground-level movement is more than apparent. Quad is in troubled waters But not so fast. Australia's Prime Minister Albanese is facing strong criticism for prioritising a visit to China over one to Washington, even as the expected meeting at the G-7 was cancelled as Trump left abruptly. Tariffs and the virtual demise of AUKUS (the Australia-UK-US submarine deal) are all minus points, even as trade with China climbs. Japan is in a tweak against the US threat of tariffs and the war in West Asia. Japan, like the others, is suffering from a slowdown in the global economy. But it has increased its defence expenditure by 9.7 per cent given what it officially calls 'the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Japan is in the game but is not that sure of US commitment anymore. Meanwhile, Japan, South Korea, and China have decided to up regional trade in the face of Trump's tariff wars. That's rather a 'red letter' event in itself. For India too, China remains its second-largest trading partner, and despite efforts by both sides to reach out to the other, the negativity continues. This was most recently seen at the Shanghai Defence Minister meeting, when Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint statement that did not mention the Pahalgam attack but sought to tickbox the Jafar Express attack. While official media remained noncommittal, Chinese language went on the warpath, accusing India of deliberately sabotaging the organisation. As Nato falters, so it seems does Brics comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as it is now apparent that President Xi is not attending the ongoing summit. Of all these, therefore, it seems that the Quad is the only organisation gathering steam given the very real threats facing each. Its earlier efforts to attract a 'Quad Plus' team — which at various times included South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Brazil — led it to water down its main focus on security so as not to scare away countries that did not want China's wrong side. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The last few summits therefore took on such issues as health, education, and a myriad of other subjects. That has now changed. The present statement is far more focused and indicates a definite thrust of activity that is clearly focused on the China threat. Caution is still evident in the fact that no one is willing to host a Quad permanent secretariat. India has circumvented this anomaly by signing similar 2+2 (foreign and defence) agreements with all these countries. It later included Russia and the UK in an attempt to placate each. Meanwhile, as the prime minister attends Brics, the fact that the Quad defence ministers just met will have its effect on the overall positioning of India as a power to contend with. On the ground, the work goes on. That's the part that matters. Trump may rage and threaten, but the administration as a system wants the Quad and wants it up and running, and fast. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is Director (R&A) at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Kuwait Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
US, Japan, India, Australia pledge mineral cooperation
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) poses for a group picture with the Indo-Pacific Quad alongside Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong (second left), Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (second right) and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. -- AFP WASHINGTON: The United States, Japan, India and Australia pledged Tuesday to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as worries grow over China's dominance in resources vital to new technologies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed his counterparts from the so-called 'Quad' to Washington in a shift of focus to Asia, after spending much of his first six months on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and on President Donald Trump's domestic priorities such as migration. The four countries said in a joint statement that they were establishing the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, aimed at 'collaborating on securing and diversifying' supply chains. They offered little detail but made clear the goal was to reduce reliance on China, which has used restrictions as leverage as the United States in turn curbs its access to semiconductors and as Trump threatens steep tariffs — including on Quad countries. 'Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation and supply chain disruptions,' the statement said. The ministers were careful not to mention China by name but voiced 'serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions' in the South China Sea and East China Sea that 'threaten peace and stability in the region.' China holds major reserves of several key minerals including the vast majority of the world's graphite, which is crucial for electric vehicles. In brief remarks alongside the other ministers, Rubio said he has 'personally been very focused' on diversifying supply chains and wanted 'real progress.' The four-way partnership was first conceived by late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who saw an alliance of democracies surrounding China — which has repeatedly alleged that the Quad is a way to contain it. Rubio had welcomed the Quad foreign ministers on January 21 in his first meeting after Trump's inauguration, seen as a sign the new administration would prioritize engagement with like-minded countries to counter China. But to the surprise of many, China has not topped the early agenda of Trump, who has spoken respectfully about his counterpart Xi Jinping and reached a truce with Beijing to avoid a wider trade war between the world's two largest economies. Trump is expected to travel to India later this year for a Quad summit. Both the Indian and Japanese foreign ministers said that they wanted the Quad to focus on a 'free and open Indo-Pacific'—a phrasing that is a veiled allusion to opposing Chinese dominance in Asia. 'It is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice, so essential to make right decisions on development and security,' Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said. Trump, in one of the most startling moves of his first term, met with North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong Un, helping ease tensions but producing no lasting agreement. Despite common ground on China, Quad members have differed on other hotspots, with the joint statement not mentioning Ukraine or Iran. India has maintained its long relationship with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine, while both India and Japan also have historically enjoyed cordial ties with Iran. – AFP
Express Tribune
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Quad ministers condemn Pahalgam attack without naming Pakistan
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks as Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of their meeting of the Indo-Pacific Quad at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Listen to article The Quad grouping of the United States, India, Japan and Australia called on Tuesday for the perpetrators of an Pahalgam attack that killed 26 in India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to be brought to justice without delay. The April 22 attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry as India blamed it on Pakistan, which denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. The US State Department issued, a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the grouping, who met in Washington, but stopped short of naming Pakistan or blaming Islamabad for the attack. India, till date, has not provided any evidence of Pakistan's alleged involvement in the attack. "The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism," the ministers said in the statement. They called on all members of the United Nations to cooperate actively with "all relevant authorities" in delivering justice to the "perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act", without any delay. Read: FO slams Modi's 'unfounded' allegations on Pahalgam attack On May 7, the Indian Air Force carried out an unprovoked attack on civilian targets in Pakistan and alleged that New Delhi had targeted "terrorist infrastructure". The strikes killed multiple Pakistani civilians and injure many more. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), scrambled to counter the Indian aerial threat, shot down six IAF fighter aircraft including three French-made Rafales. The strikes sett off an exchange of attacks between the two countries by fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery that killed dozens until a ceasefire on May 10. The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump's claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks. India's position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their problems directly and with no outside involvement. On Monday, India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, restated its position that trade was not a factor in the ceasefire. "Relationships will never be free of issues," he said, referring to the United States, adding, "What matters is the ability to deal with it and to keep that trend going in the positive direction."
