Sept 17 (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump said at a campaign event on Tuesday that India was a “very big abuser” of the U.S.-India trade relationship and that he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.
The Republican candidate for the November presidential election, speaking in Flint, Michigan, gave no details on where they would meet.
U.S. President Joe Biden will host a summit with leaders from Australia, India, and Japan on Sept. 21 in Delaware. Analysts say Washington has increasingly seen New Delhi as a counter to China’s rising influence in Asia.
Some other world leaders who have visited the U.S. in recent months for meetings with Biden and other summits have also ended up meeting Trump. The Republican faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election.
Polls show a tight race between Trump and Harris, who is of Indian descent.
Despite criticizing India over a trade without being specific, Trump called Modi “fantastic.”
Trump and Modi enjoyed warm relations while the former president was in office. When Trump visited India in 2020, Modi held a huge rally for him, marking the opening of the world’s largest cricket stadium. Rally attendees wore “Namaste Trump” hats to welcome the Republican.
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When Modi visited the U.S. in 2019, he and Trump showered each other with praise at a “Howdy, Modi!” rally in Texas attended by more than 50,000.
Modi has also enjoyed good relations with Democratic presidents like Barack Obama and Biden. The White House rolled out the red carpet for him last year, touting deals on defense and commerce.
