Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday said US President Donald Trump “misplaced his hand” with India by imposing tariffs.
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday (October 17) that US President Donald Trump “misplaced his hand” with India by imposing tariffs.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2025, Abbott said the 21st century belongs to India, and decades from now, whichever leader heads the country could take the mantle of “leader of the free world” from the US president.
Abbott analysed India’s relations with the US, China, and Pakistan, saying only Delhi can check Beijing’s ambitions to “dominate the world.” “They want to be a hegemonic power… and this spells trouble for all of China’s neighbours, as well as the world,” he said. He added that India has three major advantages—democracy, the rule of law, and the English language—as it prepares for the economic and military rise China achieved decades ago.
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“I am a supporter of President Trump, but I think he misplayed his hand with India recently when he imposed those punitive tariffs, particularly given there are other countries that are cheating here, especially China,