India-US trade pact: Deal almost done but won't repeat mistake with China - US deputy secretary

NEW DELHI: The US is very excited about the trade deal with India, now at the "finish line", as it can unlock almost limitless potential, visiting US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau said. He also expressed hope that the US, India and others would work together for a transition in West Asia that allows the region to reach a new normal.On bilateral ties, Landau said the US will not repeat mistakes made with China that allowed Beijing to become a competitor. "India should understand that we're not going to make the same mistakes we made with China 20 years ago in terms of saying we'll let you develop these markets and the next thing we know, you're beating us in commercial events," he said at the Raisina Dialogue. "We're going to make sure whatever we do is fair to our people, because we have to be accountable to them, just as the govt of India is accountable to its people," he said, describing India as a country of unlimited potential.Landau said he could think of no better alternative source of energy for India than the US. "We are an energy-rich country; we want to cooperate with you... We will work with you to ensure your energy needs are met in the short as well as the long term," he said.On multilateral ties, he said US is not a charity organisation for the UN. "I'm not here to do social work or charity; I'm here because it's in our interest, and we think it's in India's interest, to deepen our ties. It has to be based on reciprocity and mutual respect," he said, stressing America First is not America Alone.On Iran, he said preventing development of a nuclear weapon was a US red line that "did not work". "Ultimately, the Iranian people have to decide their leadership," Landau said, expressing hope for a regional "new normal."