India: historic visit and red carpet for Donald Trump

Text by: RFI Follow

President Donald Trump has arrived in India on a two-day state visit, the first of his term. This will include military agreements and thorny discussions on trade agreements, a point of tension between the two countries.

Publicity

with our correspondent in New Delhi, Sébastien Farcis

The Indian Prime Minister rolled out the red carpet to welcome the American president for a few hours in his home state, Goujarat, in northwest India. The city of Ahmedabad welcomes the American president with the honors of a Maharajah: 3000 artists present a show in the largest cricket stadium in the world, inaugurated for the occasion in front of 110,000 people. Before that, a parade of 28 gigantic paintings is presented over several kilometers, a replica of the spectacle of the Indian National Day.

Great spectacle to feed nationalist fervor

Narendra Modi applies his show policy here, which he already deployed during a major show in Houston last October. The Indian Prime Minister makes these meetings or trips to the West enormous public relations exercises, thus trying to excite the nationalist fervor of his public, by showing the Indian leader in celebration with the greatest leaders of this world.

And this even if such a spectacle costs, as in the present case several million euros for a three hour visit of the American president in this State of Goujarat.

No spectacular announcements expected

The United States continues to criticize India for its economic protectionism, and Washington recently increased its tariffs for Indian steel or aluminum. Likewise, New Delhi lost its status as a developing country benefiting from preferential trade measures.

Military military cooperation is flourishing. the United States has become India's second largest arms supplier and Donald Trump is expected to conclude a major contract to purchase combat helicopters.

India is a strategic partner for the United States, which seeks to counter China's growing influence in Asia.

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• India
• United States
• Donald trump

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