Washington DC [US], September 3 (ANI): Asserting that the US cannot confront China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific alone, former US adviser Mary Kissel emphasised India's critical role in the partnership with the United States, noting that Washington does need New Delhi's support to counter Beijing's growing influence in the region.

During an interview with Fox News, Kissel, who served as a senior adviser to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, highlighted the necessity of a strong India-US partnership amid economic tensions between the two nations, particularly due to Washington's imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, which included an additional 25 per cent due to New Delhi's purchase of Russian crude oil.

'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 remarks followed the conclusion of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council summit in Tianjin, China, during which Prime Minister Modi held bilateral engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit.

PM Modi and Xi Jinping, during their bilateral meeting, recognised the role of India and China's economies in stabilising the global trade, according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement on Sunday.

They also welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in October 2024.

Meanwhile, during his engagement with Putin, PM Modi emphasised the strong relationship between India and Russia, stating that both nations have always stood shoulder to shoulder, even in the most challenging situations.

Kissel also pointed out that India's engagement during the SCO summit could pose a significant challenge to the Trump administration in dealing with China's assertiveness.

'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 added. (ANI)