India-US relations: News and Discussions IV

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 20 Feb 2020 14:00

nvishal wrote:Top import partners of india 2015

1 China 61.5b 15.8%
2 Saudi Arabia 21.4b 5.5%
3 Switzerland 21.1b 5.4%
4 United States 20.5b 5.2%
5 United Arab Emirates 20.3b 5.2%
6 Indonesia 13.9b 3.5%
7 South Korea 13.1b 3.4%
8 Germany 11.8b 3%
9 Iraq 11.3b 2.9%
10 Nigeria 10.2b 2.6%

The US share continues to fall and the share of China continues to increase. The reason is affordability. The only way US can stay in the game is if it can undervalue its currency($US). Neither bush or obama knew what to do. In the recent years, the americans have been trying to push defence sales to try to balance their sheets. The Americans cannot sell their goods in India even if they got top shelf space in malls and kirana stores.

The west is in a sinking ship. Concentrate on trade with non-western states.

Switzerland is #3? Sorry for being such an ignoramus but what exactly is desh importing from there?

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 20 Feb 2020 14:02

Looking at the data For Apr 19 to Dec-19

https://commerce-app.gov.in/eidb/Icntcom.asp

15.ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE FATS AND OILS AND THEIR CLEAVAGE PRODUCTS; PRE. EDIBLE FATS; ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE WAXEX. USD 156Million
71 NATURAL OR CULTURED PEARLS,PRECIOUS OR SEMIPRECIOUS STONES,PRE.METALS,CLAD WITH PRE.METAL AND ARTCLS THEREOF;IMIT.JEWLRY;COIN. USD 12.158 USD Billion

27. MINERAL FUELS, MINERAL OILS AND PRODUCTS OF THEIR DISTILLATION; BITUMINOUS SUBSTANCES; MINERAL WAXES. USD 164 Billion
90. OPTICAL, PHOTOGRAPHIC CINEMATOGRAPHIC MEASURING, CHECKING PRECISION, MEDICAL OR SURGICAL INST. AND APPARATUS PARTS AND ACCESSORIES THEREOF; USD 223 Million
91. Clocks and Watches 112 Million.

So it looks like 87% of is Jewels and Precious metals

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Feb 2020 15:49

x posted from the political thread

Rising Above the Fray The Trump Modi Chapter India US Relations.

Rising Above the Fray The Trump Modi Chapter India US Relations.

President Donald Trump will arrive in India next week, his first visit to Asia’s democratic heavyweight and a lynchpin of the administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. It’s now clear the president won’t leave Delhi with a modest trade deal that’s been the subject of years of contentious negotiations but there will plenty of other takeaways, including some U.S. defense sales and a rousing reception in the world’s largest cricket stadium. President Trump has an avowed affinity for size and spectacle and India hosts both in spades.

In Delhi, President Trump is expected to sign at least two arms deals worth over $3.5 billion for six Apache attack helicopters ($930 million) and 24 Seahawk/Romeo anti-submarine warfare helicopters ($2.6 billion). The two sides may also discuss a $1.9 billion deal for a missile defense system that would protect the national capital, Delhi.

Indian and U.S. officials are also expected to review shared concerns about China’s Belt and Road Initiative and discuss ways to collaborate on high-standards infrastructure projects in the region, including through the new Blue Dot Network and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The former is designed to “certify” infrastructure projects that meet high standards and are “open and inclusive, transparent, economically viable, financially, environmentally and socially sustainable, and compliant with international standards, laws, and regulations,” according to the U.S State Department. The DFC is a new independent agency of the U.S. government that will partner with the U.S. private sector to promote U.S. investments abroad, including in infrastructure.

President Trump and his team are also expected to raise the issue of 5G technology with India and air their concerns about the risks posed by “untrusted vendors” like Chinese telecom firm Huawei in 5G networks. While India has allowed Huawei to participate in 5G test trials, it has signaled it’s in no rush to make a final decision on building out its 5G infrastructure. Notably, Indian security agencies were raising alarms about the espionage concerns posed by Huawei over a decade ago, before most of their Western counterparts.

NEW FOUNDATIONS

While a trade deal would help ease a longstanding point of friction with Washington, the president is right to keep the visit on his schedule without one. In India, the Trump administration has a great deal to celebrate. Despite recurring irritants, India-U.S. trade volumes have reached record-breaking heights in recent years, likely topping $150 billion in 2019. More important, with a willing partner in the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Trump administration has quietly but substantially strengthened the pillars of the strategic partnership while laying new foundations along the way.

Discussions of India inside the Beltway have traditionally been accompanied by lofty rhetoric and, in this case, it’s arguably justified. The transformation of the relationship has been one of the most consequential changes to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. By a factor of five India’s GDP and military spending are still dwarfed by China’s but the country is rapidly rising the ranks of the strategic hierarchy. It recently surpassed the UK and France to become the fifth largest economy in the world, and leapfrogged France and Russia to claim the fourth highest defense budget in the world. Before this decade is over it will surpass China with the largest population on earth.

India and the U.S. have enjoyed something of a prolonged honeymoon since President George W. Bush brushed aside decades of Cold War acrimony to forge a 10-year defense partnership and civil nuclear deal with India in 2005. Since then, the pace of progress has ebbed and flowed but the trajectory has been remarkably consistent. That’s in part due to one of the great strengths of the relationship, it has enjoyed sustained support in both capitals from governments of both main political persuasions. However, save for the euphoric courtship of the mid-2000s, arguably none have moved farther and faster than the Trump and Modi administrations over the past three years.

The list of accomplishments is long and substantial. They include: a foundational military agreement that allows for the sharing of encrypted communications and equipment; a change in U.S. export control laws that places India in a privileged category of NATO and non-NATO U.S. allies; a new “2+2” foreign and defense ministers dialogue; an exponential increase in U.S. oil exports to India; the inauguration of the first India-US tri-service military exercise and an expansion of existing military exercises; the signing of an Industrial Security Annex that will allow for greater collaboration among the two countries’ private defense industries; the inclusion of India and South Asia in a U.S. Maritime Security Initiative; a new parliamentary exchange program, and; enhanced Indian engagement with U.S. CENTCOM, including stationing an Indian officer in Bahrain and including CENTCOM in a bilateral military cooperation dialogue.

In the last two years, the Indian Navy began refueling U.S. warships at sea, and vice versa. This year the U.S. will join India’s MILAN naval exercise for the first time and the two sides will likely complete a fourth and final foundational military agreement, BECA, which facilitates the exchange of geospatial data and intelligence. India and the U.S. now enjoy working groups and cooperative mechanisms on space, cyber, counterterrorism, energy, water quality, the judiciary, nuclear cooperation, aircraft carrier operations, civil aviation, and science and technology. The two countries are training African peacekeepers together, coordinating disaster relief efforts, sharing intelligence on maritime traffic in the Indian Ocean, and collaborating to defuse regional crises.

Of course, the four million strong Indian diaspora in the U.S.—by some indicators America’s most successful expatriate community—serves as another powerful binding agent. Meanwhile, many in India’s strategic community now identify the U.S. as their country’s principal security partner and while the Indian public consistently expresses positive views toward the U.S. Indeed, they are in a minority among Indo-Pacific publics: they tell pollsters America’s influence is still on the rise and its best days are still ahead of it.

DECISIVE AND DIVISIVE

As important as these building blocks are, in recent years India and the U.S. have also come into greater alignment on some of the more decisive and divisive strategic issues of the day, including China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Pakistani-based terrorism, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, and the Quad.

For years India stood alone in opposing the BRI, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature geostrategic infrastructure initiative. By 2017 it helped persuade the Trump administration to stake out a position in opposition to the BRI. Today, Delhi and Washington share the same vision for regional connectivity initiatives: high quality, transparent, and sustainable. Similarly, India welcomed the Trump administration’s decision to revoke billions of dollars in aid to rival Pakistan and target Pakistani-based terrorists with new unilateral and international sanctions.

In 2017, not long after an unprecedented standoff between Chinese and Indian border forces on the Doklam plateau, India committed to the revival of the “Quad” after a decade-long hiatus. The group, comprising the Indo-Pacific democracies of Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S., carries substantial symbolic and strategic weight and was upgraded to the ministerial level last year. Meanwhile, India and the U.S. have articulated near identical visions for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific governed by peaceful dispute settlement; freedom of navigation; respect for international law; free, fair, and reciprocal trade; transparent and responsible infrastructure, and; respect for sovereignty and independence. The Trump administration recently brought those visions into closer alignment when it stretched its definition of the Indo-Pacific to match India’s, extending the geographic boundary from the west coast of India to the east coast of Africa.

NAVIGATING DIFFERENCES

To be sure, there have been occasional hiccups in recent years, including on trade, on U.S. sanctions policy toward Iran and Russia, and on the president’s occasional, caveated offer to mediate the Kashmir dispute. However, the two sides have done an admirable job navigating these differences. Seven years ago, relations were paralyzed by the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York. Now, the two capitals are navigating much more substantial rifts with relative ease.

The distance between the two sides on Pakistan has shrunk, even if Delhi remains skeptical of Islamabad’s recent efforts to curry favor with Washington and position itself as kingmaker in Afghan peace negotiations. Under threat of U.S. sanctions, India was able to cut oil imports from Iran last year, in part by substituting them with U.S. crude exports. Indeed, U.S. crude oil exports to India have surged from zero in 2016 to over 90 million barrels in 2019. Meanwhile, the Trump administration appears unmotivated to impose congressionally-mandated CAATSA sanctions on India for purchasing a Russian air defense system, given its indifference to NATO-ally Turkey’s purchase of the same system.

Finally, in recent months an unfamiliar dynamic has been introduced into India-U.S. relations. For the first time in recent memory, Indian domestic politics have become the subject of interest and concern in Washington. The Modi government has become embroiled in controversy over its August decision to revoke the autonomous statehood of Kashmir, accompanied by a wave of elevated security measures and restrictions in the valley.

Meanwhile, new and rumored changes to India's citizenship laws have the government’s critics convinced the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will abuse the legislation to target India's large Muslim population.The Western press has seized on these developments, and inflammatory statements by BJP officials, to warn the Indian government is drifting toward a form of neo-fascism.

The policies have drawn criticism from several Democratic presidential candidates, and Members of Congress. A letter recently addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by four senators, and two draft bills circulating Congress, articulate several congressional concerns about the security crackdown in Kashmir.

The Trump administration and most congressional Republicans have adopted a more muted approach, hopeful for an end to the restrictions in Kashmir but willing to allow India's domestic controversies to unfold in its own democratic political and judicial arenas.Some Republican Congressmen have even defended India’s policies in Kashmir on the House floor.

Left unchecked, the rift could one day threaten some of the bipartisan support India has long enjoyed in Washington. President Trump will deliver a major speech in which he is expected to praise India’s traditions as a multi-ethnic, pluralistic democracy with a history of respect for religious freedom and minorities. But for now his administration seems convinced that it’s best—for India and the U.S.—if the fight for India’s future comes from within.

LOOKING AHEAD, THE VISIT AND BEYOND

Despite the impressive level of convergence between India and the U.S. in recent years, the relationship is still dogged by critics who insist it has failed to meet expectations. However, qualitatively and quantitatively, India is now more geopolitically engaged with the U.S. than with any other country. And for the U.S., India’s importance now exceeds that of some formal U.S. treaty allies in the region. To argue the relationship is underperforming requires conjuring a set of extravagant expectations never grounded in reality.

Thanks to the hard work of senior South Asia hands in the Trump administration, and the Modi government’s continued shift away from a dogmatic attachment to “Non-Alignment,” the breadth of India-U.S. strategic convergence now exceeds what many thought possible a decade ago. While critics obsess over any headline that might portend a sliver of friction between Delhi and Washington, the two governments have been hard at work creating the lasting institutional building blocks of a 21st century strategic partnership.

While the relationship isn’t without its warts, Delhi and Washington are more aligned now than ever before. The Trump administration has already left its own lasting imprint on the partnership and will add a new chapter to the saga when the president arrives in Delhi next week.

Vips · Post by **Vips** » 20 Feb 2020 23:30

Westinghouse set to sign pact with Indian firm for nuclear reactors during Trump visit.

Vips · Post by **Vips** » 20 Feb 2020 23:34

US left wondering why India chose not to walk that extra mile.

With no India-US trade deal likely, US officials are beginning to wonder why the Indian government didn’t walk the extra mile to make it happen in time for President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to India on February 24-25.

The government has a reputation for being decisive and the PMO is the centre of power, they noted. The Modi government enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) swiftly and ordered demonetisation in record time, both of which were far bigger propositions.

Frustration, accumulated over two years of negotiations, is turning into deep dismay at what some are calling the great Indian stalling game. There is a sense that New Delhi was more interested in getting a presidential visit than in hammering out a trade deal.

An industry source said organisers were having a tough time getting American CEOs to go to Delhi for the business event planned for Trump. ‘The interest is low,’ he said, but efforts are underway.

Trump has reportedly been briefed about the status of trade negotiations. Some officials wonder whether Modi is getting a ‘true picture’. An administration official said a failure to firm up a trade deal in time for the visit would be ‘bad, very bad’. Another called it a ‘setback’. The disappointment is feeding into the narrative that India is not serious about trade, while Bangladesh is doing a better job of getting into global supply chains.

But there are two sides to the story. Indian sources say that US domestic politics may have entered the picture with Washington trying to push products that would help farmers and manufacturers in ‘swing states’ with an eye on the US 2020 presidential election. New items were suddenly being promoted.

The US also took steps before the Trump visit that can hardly be considered friendly. It declared India a ‘developed’ country last week, making it ineligible for preferential treatment in certain global trade practices.

When asked about the timing of the US decision, a US insider agreed it would have been better to wait until after Trump’s visit. But he said it was long in the works and not aimed solely at India. That’s hardly solace to New Delhi because that’s a standard US explanation for all punitive measures taken by the Trump administration.

Indian officials say India has relented on several issues and there is agreement on most things on the table – medical devices, chicken legs, dairy and agricultural products. India also agreed to import $6.5 billion worth of US goods in exchange for restoration of Generalised System of Preference (GSP) privileges. The idea was to increase imports of US oil and gas, but that didn’t work because US officials wanted to dictate how India should spend the $6.5 billion.

A major problem during the endless negotiations has been the relative power of negotiators. While US negotiators are fully empowered to speak for the US administration, Indian counterparts apparently are not. Things have got delayed several times because certain aspects had to be cleared by multiple ministries, adding to the US frustration, American officials said

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 21 Feb 2020 00:41

Mulvaney says U.S. is ‘desperate’ for more legal immigrants

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told a crowd at a private gathering in England on Wednesday night that the Trump administration “needs more immigrants” for the U.S. economy to continue growing, according to a audio recording of his remarks obtained by The Washington Post.

........

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 21 Feb 2020 05:35

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indi ... SKBN20E1PM
Westinghouse set to sign pact with Indian firm for nuclear reactors during Trump visit

The agreement will lay out timelines and the lead local constructor for the reactors to be built at Kovvada in southern India and also address lingering concerns over India’s nuclear liability law.The United States has been discussing the sale of nuclear reactors to energy-hungry India since a 2008 landmark civil nuclear energy pact and last year the two governments announced they were committed to the establishment of the six reactors.Last week representatives from U.S. energy and commerce departments, Westinghouse, the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and The Nuclear Energy Institute were in India for talks with government officials as part of a commercial mission to promote nuclear exports to India.
“We are encouraging moving forward with Westinghouse and NPCIL to sign a MoU. It certainly is a private industry to private industry, a business to business decision,” Dr. Rita Baranwal assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy, told Reuters in a phone interview.“We’re optimistic that an MoU will be signed shortly,” Baranwal, who was part of the mission, said. Once that is cleared the two sides will begin contract negotiations, delivery schedules and pick vendors. The plan for a new MoU has not been previously reported.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 21 Feb 2020 05:59

^^^I hate articles like that. They don't tell you the MWe capacity of the reactors or how long it takes to build one and go into operations.

From other sources these are the Westinghouse AP1000 capable of 1100 MWe at 93% efficiency. There are six of them. These six reactors will produce over 5900 MW of power. This is equal to 40,000 MW of solar power, 15,000 MW of coal, and 12,000 MW of wind.

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 21 Feb 2020 06:37

NRao wrote:Mulvaney says U.S. is ‘desperate’ for more legal immigrants

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told a crowd at a private gathering in England on Wednesday night that the Trump administration “needs more immigrants” for the U.S. economy to continue growing, according to a audio recording of his remarks obtained by The Washington Post.

........

Great... these clowns will import more peacefools

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Feb 2020 06:41

^^ Hain, isn't Westinghouse bankrupt? Which Indian co is going to partner with the - Anil Ambani Pvt Ltd or Raoul&Robert?
BTW, I think that is the answer to "how many MWe?". Answer: How many do u want?

Vips · Post by **Vips** » 21 Feb 2020 06:55

KJo wrote:
NRao wrote:Mulvaney says U.S. is ‘desperate’ for more legal immigrants

Great... these clowns will import more peacefools

Not if Trump wins another term. He wants to reduce the family based immigration/ eliminate diversity visa based immigration and divert those numbers (80,000 per year) to employment based immigration and Stem graduates. This will benefit Indians and peacefools will be left chanting jee-hard.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 21 Feb 2020 07:54

Fixed it.

NRao wrote:Mulvaney says U.S. is ‘desperate’ for more ~~legal~~white immigrants

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told a crowd at a private gathering in England on Wednesday night that the Trump administration “needs more white immigrants” for the U.S. economy to continue growing, according to a audio recording of his remarks obtained by The Washington Post.

........

nandakumar · Post by **nandakumar** » 21 Feb 2020 07:57

UlanBatori wrote:^^ Hain, isn't Westinghouse bankrupt? Which Indian co is going to partner with the - Anil Ambani Pvt Ltd or Raoul&Robert?
BTW, I think that is the answer to "how many MWe?". Answer: How many do u want?

Westinghouse was first acquired by Toshiba around 2005. Then in 2018 Toshiba itself sold it off to a Canadian private equity firm Brookfield Asset Management company. If they were to make it in India, most logical candidates are L&T and Walchand Industries.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 21 Feb 2020 09:06

Mort Walker wrote:Fixed it.

NRao wrote:Mulvaney says U.S. is ‘desperate’ for more ~~legal~~white immigrants

Given that Pakis are occupying Britain, you just may be right. The whites are ready to abandon the island.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 21 Feb 2020 09:46

https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/s ... 200221.htm
'Spectacle is a big part of why Trump is coming to India'
By ARCHANA MASIH, February 21, 2020
'If there were no Ahmedabad programme -- no flashy town hall event in a huge cricket stadium with thousands cheering him on -- then Trump may well have decided not to go to India.'
"This is not a president who revels in globe-girdling travels or foreign policy. He is a homebody who prefers to focus on what is happening domestically -- and especially now, with his re-election campaign heating up. So for India to get him for two days, that's nothing to sneeze at," Dr Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director of the Asia Program and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih.
How much of a coup is Namaste Trump for Mr Modi that an American president is visiting India in an election year when traditionally first term US presidents keep traveling to the bare essential minimum? Is Namaste Trump a quid pro quo for Howdy Modi?
It is a big coup, and I can't overstate this enough.
This is a US president who is famously averse to travel, and especially to long-distance travel. This is a president who is already in full-on re-election campaign mode, with his main priority on his political activities in the US.
Given all this, for Trump to agree to travel all the way to India -- and when there is no trade deal to be signed, no less -- that is simply extraordinary, and a big win for Modi and India. Credit is also due to Modi for recognising that if there is one thing that can win Trump over -- and get him to travel thousands of miles when he otherwise wouldn't be inclined to -- is flattery. Flattery and pageantry. And pomp and circumstance. Namaste Trump, which certainly can be viewed as a quid pro quo for Howdy Modi, is an event tailor-made for Trump.
.......
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/18/tr ... ics-trade/
SOUTH ASIA BRIEF
Trump’s India Visit Is Mostly About Optics
Next week, the leaders of the world’s two largest democracies will try to highlight their areas of agreement—but the trendlines show growing cracks.
BY RAVI AGRAWAL | FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Trump’s India Visit Is Mostly About Optics
U.S. President Donald Trump lands in New Delhi early next week to meet his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. International media is almost certain to focus on a growing friendship between the world’s two largest democracies. Former U.S. President Barack Obama predicted the two would form a “defining partnership” of the 21st century, and advancing ties with India is one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement in Washington. A broad consensus of foreign-policy thinkers view an India-U.S. relationship as a hedge against the rise of China.
TV channels and newspapers—especially in India—are likely to devote a considerable amount of coverage to a joint appearance in Ahmedabad, where Trump and Modi will address an expected 100,000 people at the world’s biggest cricket stadium. The glitzy optics of that event will prompt analysis about the budding personal chemistry between the two leaders—how both are men of the people who share a disdain for the media. But media coverage will miss the mark. The more substantive issues lie in the growing differences between the two countries and their leaders.
.....
More substantially, despite about two decades of moving closer, India and the United States have begun to show signs of divergence on at least two key issues.
As Foreign Policy’s Keith Johnson writes, “Trump’s niggling trade demands” are holding the larger strategic relationship hostage. As U.S. officials focus only on limiting their trade deficits with partners—browbeating over walnuts and Harley-Davidsons with India—Washington is ill-suited to push New Delhi toward more broadly trade-friendly policies, as it has in the past.
As with trade, so too with foreign policy. Washington’s shunning of liberal alliances has opened the door for New Delhi’s increasingly muscular geopolitics. At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham chided India over its relationship with Pakistan and its unilateral decision to scrap Indian-administered Kashmir’s autonomy last year. “I don’t know how it ends, but let’s make sure that two democracies will end it differently,” he said. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who shared the stage with Graham, immediately quipped back: “Don’t worry, senator. One democracy will settle it. And you know which one.”
.....
Gautam

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 21 Feb 2020 21:47

A_Gupta wrote:Brought to you by your friends at Brietbart - Bash the Indian Worker Fest.
From Brietbart to Fox to Trump's ear.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020 ... s-legally/

Hit piece, but also good news. Yeevil Yindoos are taking over.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 21 Feb 2020 23:29

India set to dazzle Trump with pomp and circumstance as trade rows fester

NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will be accorded the biggest public reception given to any foreign leader in years during his visit to India beginning on Monday, officials say, one that could help paper over the two countries' growing friction over trade.

Close political and security partners, India and the United States have hit each other with retaliatory tariffs. Over the past month they have engaged in intense negotiations to produce a mini trade deal, but officials say it remains elusive.

The two sides have been arguing over U.S. demands for access to India's huge poultry and dairy markets, Indian price controls on medical devices such as stents and stringent local data storage rules that U.S. companies say will raise the costs of doing business.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has sought restoration of trade concessions that Trump withdrew in 2019 and greater access to U.S. markets for its pharmaceutical and farm products. Above all, it says that Trump should not treat India on par with China, whose economy is five times larger.

At an event in Las Vegas overnight Trump gave mixed messages about prospects for a trade deal with Modi.

"We're going to India and we may make a tremendous deal there. Maybe we'll slow it down, we'll do it after the election," he said.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather in Modi's political hometown of Ahmedabad to greet Trump for a road show leading to a rally in a cricket stadium with a capacity of over 100,000.

On stage, both leaders will address a bigger version of the "Howdy Modi" rally that they jointly appeared at in Houston to a jubilant crowd of 50,000 Indian Americans last year, where Trump likened Modi to Elvis Presley for his crowd-pulling power.

"From the moment of their arrival at the airport a little before noon on 24th February, the delegates will be treated to a display of famed Indian hospitality and India’s Unity in Diversity," said Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla.

He said there will be tens of thousands of ordinary citizens as well as artistes showcasing the performing arts from different states of the country as part of the India Road Show.

Trump, who will be accompanied by his wife, Melania, on the two-day trip, has been fascinated with the idea of going to India since his visit to Houston, aides said.

Trump prides himself in having large crowds at his campaign rallies, ranging generally from 10,000 to 20,000 people, and has expressed admiration privately at the size of the crowd awaiting him in India, they said.

MODEST TRADE DEAL

It was possible the two sides could still announce some specific trade measures absent a broader deal, Richard M. Rossow, an India expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told reporters.

"There’s a modest package of things that India could put on the table that I don’t think would hurt the government’s domestic base so dramatically."

These could include a further reduction in import tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles <HOG.N> that Trump has often spoken about, he said.

The two countries are also expected to announce India's purchase of 24 SeaHawk naval helicopters from Lockheed Martin <LMT.N> in a deal estimated to be $2.6 billion as well as a follow-on order for six Apache attack helicopters.

The United States has become one of India's top arms suppliers, with $18 billion worth of sales over the last 15 years, edging out traditional supplier Russia.

Trump and Modi are expected to discuss a wide range of issues including trade, 5G telecoms, counter-terrorism, energy security, religious freedom, the rule of law and the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, a senior Trump administration official said.

U.S. energy firm Westinghouse is also expected to sign a new agreement with state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India for the supply of six nuclear reactors, kickstarting a long-running project.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 22 Feb 2020 00:02

The Surprising Success of the U.S.-Indian Partnership
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles ... tter_posts
20 Feb 2020

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Feb 2020 02:15

Grandest welcome,but the Donald still whines about being treated badly by us. Simply tactics to get a better deal or does he truly believe it? In my opinion,we're overdoing the welcome for the visit,as if we are a loyal lackey.A warm welcome is great,but we should retain our dignity.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 22 Feb 2020 02:56

^ just 9 O' Clock exactly same things were said verbatim by ConParty Anand Sharma. You are so in tune with ConParty thinking.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 22 Feb 2020 05:21

Philip wrote:Grandest welcome,but the Donald still whines about being treated badly by us. Simply tactics to get a better deal or does he truly believe it? In my opinion,we're overdoing the welcome for the visit,as if we are a loyal lackey.A warm welcome is great,but we should retain our dignity.

India is better lackey for the Russians. Does that make you happy?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 22 Feb 2020 09:20

That Seema Sirohi article is downright scurrilous. And why is it being published in India?

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 22 Feb 2020 11:36

Mort Walker wrote:
Philip wrote:Grandest welcome,but the Donald still whines about being treated badly by us. Simply tactics to get a better deal or does he truly believe it? In my opinion,we're overdoing the welcome for the visit,as if we are a loyal lackey.A warm welcome is great,but we should retain our dignity.
India is better lackey for the Russians. Does that make you happy?

When was the last time you saw a welcome of this nature accorded to a russki leader?

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 22 Feb 2020 12:08

https://www.rediff.com/news/column/trum ... 200222.htm
Trump's visit: How will China react?
By SRIKANTH KONDAPALLI, February 22, 2020
'While many Chinese policy makers dismiss the political, economic and technological component of US-India relations, they express caution on the defence-related ties which also happens to be a major driver in US-India relations,' explains China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
Even though China is currently engrossed in countering the debilitating coronavirus spread across the country, daggers would soon be drawn as India hosts United States President Donald J Trump. Opinions from China are likely to highlight the 'containment' thesis -- that the US and India are making preparations to address China's rise and its flagship Belt and Road Initiative.
For, there are many stakes for a beleaguered China. China's plans to assiduously place itself in the leadership position in Asia is being questioned increasingly by Japan, India, Australia and other neighbouring countries. With the US's renewed 'isolationist' policies, Beijing initially thought such a move is an opportunity. China of late had been making preparations to anoint itself the undisputed leader in Asia without providing goods and services on that scale. In May 2014, it suggested that Asian countries should look after their own security, instead of depending on the US. The 19th Communist party congress in October 2017 went further by suggesting to 'occupy the centre stage' in global and regional orders.
The reaction from the US and its allies has been swift, if bordering on hyperbole. The Trump administration became a proactive critique of the BRI in terms of its violation of sovereign principles or debt financing, environmental fallout and others. It passed the travel act in regard to Xinjiang, Tibet and Taiwan, besides initiating freedom of navigation and overflight operations in the disputed South China Sea, where China attempted to push everyone else through militarisation and a proposed code of conduct.
The above is typical of the Cold War rendition. What has changed is India, and other countries joining such efforts. In November 2017, the Trump administration widely popularised the Indo-Pacific strategy of free and open system, rule of law, freedom of navigation, maritime security and connectivity, curbs on nuclear and missile transfers and terrorism.
Initially, China dismissed such moves as merely ocean 'froth' that would recede eventually, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi put it. However, as the idea of the Indo-Pacific is gathering storm, China is concerned. In June last year, the US has released its first comprehensive Indo-Pacific strategy document mentioning India's 'vital' role in the scheme of things. Major US official documents mentioned China as a revisionist power and a strategic competitor. Indian official documents do not mention China as a threat even though the highest level leadership had taken objection to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, with no budging from Beijing.
.....
Gautam

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 22 Feb 2020 12:45

Cain Marko wrote:
Mort Walker wrote: India is better lackey for the Russians. Does that make you happy?
When was the last time you saw a welcome of this nature accorded to a russki leader?

Why's everyone bothered about the nature of the visit ? Trump is just a man with superficial tastes, an ego the size of Alaska, and the attention span of a 2 year old. He likes show, pomp, and being the center of attention. He went to France and saw the Bastille Day parade, and came back and demanded one at home. You want something out of someone with such attributes of vanity ? Make them feel good about themselves.

Pomp is wasted on Putin or Abe or Xi. Those are serious people with serious interests to discuss. Setting up a big show for them is the equivalent of telling them you're not taking them seriously. For Trump it's the opposite - when you set up a big show for him, he accepts that you believe he's just AWESOME. And when he feels awesome, you get what you want out of him.

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 22 Feb 2020 12:49

Philip wrote:Grandest welcome,but the Donald still whines about being treated badly by us. Simply tactics to get a better deal or does he truly believe it? In my opinion,we're overdoing the welcome for the visit,as if we are a loyal lackey.A warm welcome is great,but we should retain our dignity.

Trump is a vain old man who also feels taken advantage of if he is not the one taking the advantage. This is his core nature.

From what I can see, the Indian thinking seems to be, if we can play to his vanity, and maybe thereby mitigate his advantage-grabbing side, what goes of our father onlee?

Maybe it takes real national confidence and maturity to not worry all the time about appearing servile? Don’t know, but Jaishankar and Modi seem pretty self-confident on India’s behalf to me.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 22 Feb 2020 12:57

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51569605
Trump in India: A brief history of US presidents' trips
By Rajini Vaidyanathan
South Asia Correspondent, Delhi
US President Donald Trump is expecting a raucous welcome on his first official state visit to India on Monday and Tuesday.
He follows a long line of leaders who have made the journey. Some of his predecessors were greeted enthusiastically; others stumbled through diplomatic gaffes; one even had a village named after him.
Can history be a guide to how this diplomatic tryst might go? Here's a brief look at past visits, ranked in order of how they went.
The good: President Eisenhower
Let's begin at the beginning.
Dwight D Eisenhower, the first US president to visit India, was greeted with a 21-gun salute when he landed in the national capital, Delhi, in December 1959. Huge crowds lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the World War Two hero in his open-top car - Mr Trump is expecting a similar reception in Ahmedabad city, where he will be doing a road show.
.....
Gautam

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 22 Feb 2020 13:57

Suraj wrote:
Cain Marko wrote: Pomp is wasted on Putin or Abe or Xi. Those are serious people with serious interests to discuss. Setting up a big show for them is the equivalent of telling them you're not taking them seriously. For Trump it's the opposite - when you set up a big show for him, he accepts that you believe he's just AWESOME. And when he feels awesome, you get what you want out of him.

Those are good points indeed. And I had not really thought of it like that. Although it does seem as though Modi is a bit obsequious at times - at least from his behavior before the camera (I remember that incident from Ivanka's visit) not exactly flattering.

Having said this, it seems to me that pomp and bending over is SOP whenever POTUS visits dilli. Similar things when Billybadshah visited and ditto with Ombaba too.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 22 Feb 2020 14:06

I’ve never interpreted Modi as obsequious . He likes to rattle someone who’s not used to another leader being in their personal space . It’s an act of domination more than anything else, as far as I’m concerned . Everyone knows he commands power because he holds a mandate more powerful than most of them, and leads one of the worlds most powerful countries.

Arguably there is no way to ‘look good’ around Ivanka . It’s nothing to do with the leader in question but Ivanka herself - a profusely plastic surgery filled airhead acting as the emissary of a father who’s equally out of place. No one looks good around her because they’ve no idea how to deal with her . She’s not a peer, an intellectual, or even educated . Lagarde and the EU leaders loathe her or look mildly amused, the East Asians keep their poker faces while showing little respect in the local news. Worrying about how anyone looks around Ivanka is something best left to Vogue or Cosmo.

I recall nothing special about Obama’s R Day visit that wasn’t an American need for their security entourage to be both seen and heard . All views of US Presidential visits face confirmation bias because they’re generally high profile. They used to happen once a generation. Now it’s once a term. Soon it’ll lose novelty.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 22 Feb 2020 16:11

Cain Marko wrote:
Suraj wrote:
Those are good points indeed. And I had not really thought of it like that. Although it does seem as though Modi is a bit obsequious at times - at least from his behavior before the camera (I remember that incident from Ivanka's visit) not exactly flattering.
Having said this, it seems to me that pomp and bending over is SOP whenever POTUS visits dilli. Similar things when Billybadshah visited and ditto with Ombaba too.

I would say that Modiji is very careful to keep his personal feelings completely out of the equation, as that would show a weakness in his armor. You expect Trump to show his feelings of anger or frustration openly, but not Modiji. The travel ban to the US was unfair and I am sure it rankled. If we know who the groups that were behind it, I am sure the PM is also aware. But as long as it is beneficial to India, you do not hear a peep from him and the bonhomie goes on.
Gautam

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Feb 2020 16:18

Many views expressed above hold good.However,the way in which our channels are highlighting the visit are nauseating.One " reputed" channel ,old timer, had its anchor breathless with the countdown..." only 58 hours left!..." as if it was the moon landing.
Strangely the govt. channels like Rajya Sabha TV, etc. are more sanguine.Their analysts soberly discuss the visit and its implications.

Meanwhile there are two hard stones in India's shoe for Trump to remove.First,his beratong India on tariffs,saying we're giving the US a v.hard time.Secondly,Afghanistan,where it is signing a peace deal with the Taliban within a week,shafting India who will be left hiigh and dry,up the creek without a paddle and prepare in advance for the fall of Kabul to the ungodly. Even the Russians are welcoming the accord! We all know how the US left Saigon,India must be spared this disgrace and humiliation.

An AFG peace accord with the Taliban will be a huge strategic victory for Pak, who will snatch victory from the jaws of the FATFA and turn their surplus jihadis towards Kashmir.

LakshmanPST · Post by **LakshmanPST** » 22 Feb 2020 16:18

OT... Was near Delhi Airport... Saw 5 USAF C17s and one C130 landing one after the other...
Looks like lot of preparations for Trump's visit...

nam · Post by **nam** » 22 Feb 2020 16:36

Trump babu may have his own way of dealing with things, but he is the US president. His action or even words carry weight around the world.

He likes to be a showman, we give it to him. And with 1.3 billion, we can easily spare a few million for a show.

Our objective is to keep max number of Security Council countries to our side. Russians have been showered with defence deals and we provide some economic incentive to balance against the Chinese influence on Russia. Keeps the Russians quiet. France is happy with dreams of Rafale deal and Scorpenes. UK, we will think of something.

That leaves US, the most powerful of the SC. Need to be in it's good books for economic and strategic reason. Even a tweet from Trump babu blaming Pak , rattles them. They do panic reaction, run off to the Chinese. Good for us, as long as Pak become another NK for Chinis.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Feb 2020 17:20

Many views expressed above hold good.However,the way in which our channels are highlighting the visit are nauseating.One " reputed" channel ,old timer, had its anchor breathless with the countdown..." only 58 hours left!..." as if it was the moon landing.
Strangely the govt. channels like Rajya Sabha TV, etc. are more sanguine.Their analysts soberly discuss the visit and its implications.

Meanwhile there are two hard stones in India's shoe for Trump to remove.First,his berating India on tariffs,saying we're giving the US a v.hard time.Secondly,Afghanistan,where it is signing a peace deal with the Taliban within a week,shafting India who will be left hiigh and dry,up the creek without a paddle and prepare in advance for the fall of Kabul to the ungodly. Even the Russians are welcoming the accord! We all know how the US left Saigon,India must be spared this disgrace and humiliation happening.

An AFG peace accord with the Taliban will be a huge strategic victory for Pak, who will snatch victory from the jaws of the FATFA and turn their surplus jihadis towards Kashmir.

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 22 Feb 2020 18:19

Dunno how true this is...

https://twitter.com/Leopard212/status/1 ... 1974070273

THIS! US Military Helicopters carrying out recce and surveillance over Indian Airspace! Where is Indian Air Force? In the past, US Secret Service used IAF assets to conduct aerial security recce. This isn't a reciprocal behaviour at all! Bending backwards for #ShriTrumpeshwar

The video shows Blackhawks over the cricket stadium...

In the replies...

This is unprecedented. In the past, Indian Air Force flights have been used. Will the US allow, IAF aircraft to fly over their cities, with the SPG, to carry out aerial recce? NO, they won't, and nor should we! Diplomacy is reciprocity

During Obama's visit...

No, IAF and Navy assets were used.
Only the President's own, Marine Corps Helicopter (Marine One) was used, to ferry between Bombay Airport to the INS Shikra, Naval base.

greatde · Post by **greatde** » 22 Feb 2020 19:12

Not sure if such a grand welcome is necessary for him. He has tried to interfere in Kashmir matters, and talks about unfair trade with India. I dont understand what India is getting with such a lavish, and big money welcome.

krishna_krishna · Post by **krishna_krishna** » 22 Feb 2020 20:13

Zynda wrote:Dunno how true this is...

During Obama's visit...
No, IAF and Navy assets were used.
Only the President's own, Marine Corps Helicopter (Marine One) was used, to ferry between Bombay Airport to the INS Shikra, Naval base.

Shame it has to come to this, how can GOI allow this recc to be carried out in such a sensitive area by foreign military aircrafts. No wonder we deserve being compared equalsto porkis, first athos crap and now this it is slowly loosing respect in my eyes.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 22 Feb 2020 21:26

Cain Marko wrote:
Mort Walker wrote:
India is better lackey for the Russians. Does that make you happy?
When was the last time you saw a welcome of this nature accorded to a russki leader?

When was the last time an Indian PM got to hold a massive rally to the Indian diaspora in a Russian city? This is reciprocity to further personal relationships which, at this time with a tribal leader in the US, is of value.

Don’t forget the billions the Russians have swindled from India on weapon systems not delivered, extremely low availability, and non functional.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 22 Feb 2020 23:23

Since the removal of India from GSP in March 2019, which became effective in July 2019, there hasn’t been a reduction of Indian goods exported to the US. Looking at the data from August to December 2019. It appears that GSP has now been permanently closed by the Trump administration.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 23 Feb 2020 00:28

GSP only impacted $3-5 billion of Indian exports, or about 10% of a single months exports. Its going away has been on the cards since about 2005 when I first saw mention of the intent in the economic news sites . There’s probably a reference to it in an old Econ thread .