McAuliffe Backs Balanced India-US Trade Deal in Exclusive Interview

Former Virginia Guv McAuliffe backs 'good' India-US trade deal (IANS Exclusive)

Washington, July 16

"You gotta negotiate a good trade deal that's good for both sides," McAuliffe told IANS in an exclusive interview. "You can never negotiate a deal where one side comes out a winner. Because ultimately, you will lose by that."

McAuliffe, a Democrat who served as Virginia governor from 2014 to 2018, said both countries must be satisfied with the final agreement.

"Both sides have to feel good about an agreement, and it has to work for both sides," he said. "And when that occurs, both sides lift up, all boats rise."

McAuliffe described himself as a strong advocate of global commerce. He said trade agreements should protect workers while creating economic opportunities.

"The world is one big economic trading opportunity," he said. "And those countries that don't jump in and take advantage of it will lose out, and their citizens will lose out."

McAuliffe said he conducted 35 overseas trade missions during his four years as governor and recruited 1,100 companies to Virginia. Those investments, he said, created jobs in Northern Virginia as well as rural communities in the state's southwest.

The former governor also praised Indian Americans for their contribution to Virginia and the wider United States, particularly through entrepreneurship, technology and philanthropy.

"The jobs created, the entrepreneurship was just extraordinary," he said. "But it's not only the entrepreneurship and the number of jobs created, and but the Indian American community gives back so much more."

McAuliffe said the community had strengthened the United States and helped establish the country as a global leader in technology and information technology.

"We all owe a debt here in America to the immigrants who have come over, the Indian Americans who have started businesses here and done so many charitable things here in our country," he said.

He also criticised the Trump administration's immigration rhetoric, saying the United States had benefited from newcomers, particularly Indian Americans.

"Unfortunately, under the administration we have today, you have all this immigrant bashing going on today, and it's really unfortunate," McAuliffe said.

He said that the US is a "better nation today" because of the immigrants -- and "specifically the Indian American community who immigrated to this great country," he added. "And it makes us stronger."

McAuliffe said borders should be secure, and immigrants should enter legally, but argued that America's diversity remained one of its greatest strengths. "We are a melting pot and a big melting pot makes us stronger," he said.

— IANS