Trump’s Beijing visit exposed a critical shift: the US now uses statecraft to sell, while China governs commerce through a geopolitical lens. Despite a high-profile US tech delegation, no commercial breakthroughs emerged, impacting chip markets. India must reassess old assumptions. It needs a wider strategic dialogue with China, offering a level commercial playing field. For the US, India should assure policy stability and transparency. By leveraging both relationships, India can advance a market-led industrial strategy, fostering domestic capabilities, lowering costs, and creating jobs amidst this evolving bipolar dynamic, avoiding being caught in the middle.