Rekindling the old flame

Success is likely because Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump have a fairly good, close, and trusting personal relationship dating back to Trump's first presidential term, and because the US and India have had a strategic partnership for decades.

The situation is difficult because Modi's trip to the US comes after Trump decided to impose trade tariffs on all of America's trading partners worldwide , with India being one of the countries with a trade surplus with the US. Trump returned to power in the US but did not repeat the exact policy views and methods of his first term, including towards India and Modi.

Modi met Trump at the White House in 2017.

Therefore, Modi proactively sought to rekindle the old friendship with Trump to avoid harm to India from Trump's aggressive policies, to adapt India's bilateral relationship with the US to the change in administration in a way that best benefits India, and to prevent India from being caught in the crossfire of Trump's attacks on other countries.

Prior to his trip to the US to meet with President Trump, Modi proactively took steps that greatly pleased Trump. Modi initiated direct meetings and discussions with Trump, raised the issue of India's trade surplus with the US, and offered to lower tariffs on US goods exported to India. Notably, Modi also proactively proposed new cooperation ideas and projects with the US in the fields of energy, arms procurement, defense, and security. This strategy, combining "using soft power to counter hard power" and "avoiding confrontation without shame," appears likely to be highly effective for Modi in this foreign policy mission.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/noi-lai-tinh-xua-185250213214928782.htm