India, Aug. 24 -- Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations, on Friday stressed on the importance of India-US relationship, warning that alienating New Delhi at a time of rising Chinese assertiveness would be a 'strategic disaster.'

Her remarks came in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian goods, a move that has unsettled bilateral trade ties. Writing in an opinion piece co-authored with Bill Drexel of the Hudson Institute, Haley argued that "partnership between the US and India to counter China should be a no-brainer."

"Partnership between the US and India to counter China should be a no-brainer. India and China are unfriendly neighbors that have conflicting economic interests and ...