Trump calls India ‘a big abuser of trade’, set to meet Modi next week.
Ex-President of America Donald Trump, while campaigning for a rally on Tuesday in Flint, Michigan, spoke of India as a ‘massive cheater’ in trade relations between the US and India. Trump also said he was to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week but did not give further details about where the meeting would occur. This has raised eyebrows as Trump ushers in the next presidential election in November next year.
The timing of the meeting is in line with the two-plus-two meetings organised by United States President Joe Biden on September 21st in Delaware involving leaders from Australia, India, and Japan. The researchers have commented that since the beginning of the 2010s, the U. S. has perceived India as a strategic ally in opposition to the rising Chinese power in Asia. However, Trump has condemned India on trade issues. He mentioned Modi as fantastic, which indicates a good relationship between the presidents.
During Trump’s presidency, Trump and Modi have had a strong bond or friendship, evidenced by the number of large rallies Trump has addressed in India and vice versa. Last year, when Trump visited the South Asian nation, Modi arranged a massive event at the world’s most considerable cricket ground, and people chanted “Namaste Trump” supporting the US president. Likewise, during Modi’s visit to the U. S. in 2019, the two leaders bore each other during the “Howdy, Modi!” event in Texas, with more than half a million people attending.
Still, Trump’s relations with Modi have remained cordial even as the former U. S. president continues to express worry over trade matters. The Republican candidate made the remarks when he was with the nearest rival for the November 5 election, the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, who is of Indian origin. Opinion surveys indicate that both Trump and Harris are equally matched in the polls, with each side aiming to receive the support of the new voting groups such as the Indian Americans.
This year alone, several heads of state coming to the U.S. for economically important summits or bilateral talks with Biden have also taken time to meet Trump. This pattern shows that Donald Trump uses the political system to remain relevant despite contesting the presidential election.
Trump has expressed concerns about bilateral trade between the U.S. and India, but Modi has good political relations with the Republican and Democratic parties. Internationally, Modi, during his time as prime minister of India, has maintained cordial relations with former President Obama of the U.S. and present President Biden, who accorded him a warm welcome during his visit to the U.S. the previous year. The Biden administration has ensured that defence and commerce relations with India are asserted as a portion of an expansive approach in the Indo-Pacific area.
Ahead of a possible run for the presidency in 2024, Trump is likely eyeing a face-off with Harris. The meeting will be an excellent chance for Trump to showcase his strength and relevance in international politics again. Given that trade and international relations are likely to dominate the foreign policy debate in the run-up to the election, Trump—Modi ties will be particularly keenly watched in the coming weeks.
