India and the United States are the largest democracies in the world – and both are ruled by populists. Now US President Trump is visiting Premier Modi in India. It’s about gun deals, trade deals and: a lot of show.
By Silke Diettrich, ARD Studio New Delhi
A football stadium in Texas, more than 50,000 spectators, last September. It was the largest event of a foreign leader on US soil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was celebrated by Americans with Indian roots. Hand in hand with US President Donald Trump. “I’m so excited to be here with one of the United States’ greatest and most loyal friends, with Prime Minister Modi from India,” Trump said at the time.
Superlatives, megalomania and far right, that unites the two leaders. “We have a passion for the United States,” says Premier Modi, “believe in the future of the country and have a firm determination to make America great again.”
Two brothers in spirit …
“Make America great again” was Donald Trump’s motto. Modi was banned from entering the United States for almost a decade because of anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, India, in 2002. Modi, a Hindu nationalist and then prime minister at the time, had long hesitated to intervene. As a result, he was banned from entering the United States.
That is forgotten today. Government-friendly media in India are writing these days: “Trump and Modi. The World’s Most Important Relationship Regarding Democracy and Freedom”. Rajesh Rajgopalan, professor of international political relations, sees things a little differently: “To be honest, we haven’t had a good relationship with the United States for quite a long time. It’s not about important democracies either – we just have common interests. Above all because of the great power of China, our relationships have become a little closer. “
… and still a fight
Nevertheless, the alleged friendship between the two statesmen has been fairly hailed from an economic perspective last year. Trump canceled special benefits for India in June, after which the country had previously been able to deliver some goods duty-free to the United States. Modi reacted promptly: he imposed punitive tariffs on almost 30 products from the USA. This earned him the nickname “inch king” at Trump.
The two now want to come closer economically again with a new, but rather modest trade agreement. Talks are still at an early stage, but they could lead to a “fantastic trade deal,” Trump said at a joint appearance with Modi in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. It is still questionable whether one will ever come about. “All of these psychological muscle games that the two are organizing could result in one of the partners withdrawing from the negotiations,” says Professor Rajgopalan. “Trade between the two countries has always been complicated because domestic political and ideological components intervene. They are still playing games with each other.”
Common opponent China
Strategically, however, the two get along very well: Only recently did the United States confirm that India will buy an air defense system worth almost two billion US dollars. Trump has now announced this too – the US wants to sell more military equipment to India, for example, helicopters worth at least two and a half billion US dollars are among them. For the United States, this is a win-win situation: good for business – and good for having a strong counterweight to the great power China.
