Rex Tillerson in A Very Stable Genius

On Foreign Policy: Protect India & fend off China's Belt-and-Road

Modi tried to follow the path Tillerson had laid out for them the previous weeks about a plan to protect India and fend off China's Belt-and-Road initiative. But each time Modi tried to get Trump to engage on the substance of US-India relations, the American president veered off on another non sequitur trade deficiencies and endless war in Afghanistan.

After that meeting the Indian's took a step back in their diplomatic relations with the U.S. The meeting with Modi was a major setback for US--India relations but also for the administrations hopes for a checkmate on China in the region.