The Republican senator from Montana said that he leaves his phone behind when he travels to China, but carries it with him when he visits India.
US Senator Steve Daines on Tuesday stressed the trust that Washington places in New Delhi, using a personal anecdote to compare America’s relations with India and China.
Speaking at an event, the Republican senator from Montana said he leaves his phone behind when he travels to China but carries it with him when visiting India, calling the difference a reflection of the trust the US places in New Delhi.
“When I travel to China, this phone doesn’t go with me to Beijing,” Daines said. “It stays on my desk in Washington, D.C. When I travel to Delhi or anywhere in India, I have this phone with me. This is just a small example of a very trusted ally and friend, and I can’t do that when I go to China. And I’ve made several trips to China.”
At the same time, he stressed that Washington cannot afford to completely cut ties with Beijing despite the lack of trust. “It’s an important relationship. It’s too big to fail. We can’t disengage from China. We need to engage. We need to,” Daines added.
He said the India-US partnership extends beyond bilateral interests and carries broader global significance.
“The relationship that we have between the United States and India is not just important for our two countries. I think it is important for the world,” he said during the 2026 USISPF Annual Leadership Summit.
Deeper cooperation to confront the Chinese challenge
Daines said Washington must adopt a more strategic view of India’s role in addressing the geopolitical challenges posed by China.
“There is only one country in the world that can match the size and scope of China’s innovation ecosystem, and that is India, which is working with the US,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of STEM education in the two countries, Daines added, “China produces approximately 3.5 million STEM graduates every year. The only hope we have to compete globally is India as well as the US. India produces about 2-2.5 million STEM graduates. America produces about 1 million graduates.”
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