Beijing

India’s Ambassador to China, Pradeep Kumar Rawat, met US Ambassador to China David Perdue here and discussed expanding engagement and shared interests between India and the United States.

Following the meeting, Perdue said the India–US partnership continues to deliver tangible outcomes through close cooperation across multiple sectors.

“The US–India relationship delivers real results through close cooperation on defence, energy, critical minerals, and through Quad engagement. Always great to see my friend Ambassador Rawat to discuss our shared interests,” Perdue said in a post on X.

The interaction comes days after India and the United States announced that they had reached a framework for an Interim Agreement aimed at promoting reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.

The framework reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to the broader US–India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, launched by US President Donald J Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025. The proposed BTA is expected to include expanded market access commitments and measures to strengthen resilient supply chains.

According to a joint statement, the Interim Agreement is expected to mark a significant milestone in the India–US partnership, reflecting a shared commitment to balanced and reciprocal trade based on mutual interests and concrete outcomes.

Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had reiterated their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad during a meeting held ahead of the Critical Minerals Ministerial.

A readout from the US State Department said the two leaders discussed formalising cooperation in critical minerals exploration, mining and processing, and emphasised the importance of India and the US working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance shared energy security goals.

“The Secretary and External Affairs Minister welcomed the trade deal reached between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi and underscored the need for the two democracies to collaborate closely on economic growth and energy security,” the readout said.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their support for a prosperous Indo-Pacific region, which they described as vital to advancing shared interests.

The Quad grouping comprises the United States, Australia, Japan and India.

In December 2025, Ambassador Perdue had reaffirmed the Quad’s role in maintaining a “free and open” Indo-Pacific during a meeting with Quad ambassadors in Beijing, highlighting the strength of the US–Australia–India–Japan partnership.

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In a post following that meeting, Perdue described the Quad as “a force for good” and stressed the four nations’ continued commitment to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.