Trump’s Visit To India- Know The Major Highlights
Though there was a lot of hype about President Trump’s first official visit to India and his increasing closeness with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the visit did not produce a big deal.
The US President Donald Trump arrived in India on Monday for his two-day visit which was wrapped on Tuesday. There were a lot of expectations from this meeting for some major announcements about different aspects which are not met. The 36-hour visit of Trump will be remembered more for the images, it seems. However, in the end, both leaders had their expectations fulfilled despite not agreeing on the trade agreements.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Thousands of optics lined up the streets from Ahmedabad airport to the Motera Stadium in Gujarat to greet President Trump on his way. And he addressed over 100000 people at the stadium.
- The trade deal between two countries though reached a mini-agreement but did not get over the finish line due to tough negotiations.
- Nothing specific has been achieved about economic, democracy, strategic and human rights development in India. Although Trump discussed the Indian diversity in his speech, he said it will not be right to discuss the concerns regarding religious freedom and detention of political leaders in Kashmir publicly. Also, he did not say anything about the Hindu-Muslim violence that occurred in Delhi during his trip and led to at least 20 deaths.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on growing economic ties with the US and reducing the trade deficit. With the aim of satisfying Trump, Indian CEOs highlighted the investments done by them in skill development and manufacturing industry. They also have shown their efforts to keep Chinese equipment out of India’s 5G network. President Trump also agreed on the point that both sides will work toward having a more complex trade agreement.
- The two democracies are likely to have greater strategic cooperation as they have discussed concerns about China’s rising actions and have strengthened their defense and security ties in recent years. Announcements made during this visit by both authorities show that they are determined to take their cooperation to a further level, specifically in the Indo-Pacific.
- India completed its first Indian defense deal my deciding to buy $3 billion worth of military helicopters and Apaches for its navy.
- According to an announcement made during the visit, the new US International Development Finance Corporation will set up an office in India to work together on regional infrastructure projects.
The US is crucial for Modi to maintain a favourable power balance in Asia. And this visit will play an important role in keeping Trump on his side. The red-carpet welcome and a massive audience worked well for highlighting Modi’s deals. There is no doubt that India’s efforts paid off as Trump was highly complimentary of our nation as well as the Prime Minister.
It was clear from Trump’s remarks that his trade concerns with India have not disappeared. In case Trump is re-elected, India will need to be prepared to get these issues on top of its list. Trump will definitely expect greater concessions.