India widens Pacific ties, says Dhruva Jaishankar

India is deepening its engagement with Pacific nations, with foreign policy analyst Dhruva Jaishankar telling the Indianweekender that New Delhi is building strategic partnerships beyond trade. Speaking during a visit to New Zealand, Jaishankar said the recently signed India-New Zealand trade deal was not solely about economics or geopolitics, but a combination of both in a disorderly world marked by US-China competition. He noted that India's external affairs minister meets his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters frequently, and dismissed the July meeting between the two as awkward.

Jaishankar said there is broad cross-party support in New Zealand for a free trade agreement with India, despite opposition from New Zealand First during the election campaign. He also acknowledged that India's relationship with the US has recovered after a low point in May last year, with Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump meeting recently. The SCMP reports that Modi's six-day Indo-Pacific tour in July included visits to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand, where he signed defence, maritime security, and trade agreements.