Trump’s India visit on cards, PM Modi’s White House invite likely soon, says report

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Washington, Jan 19, 2025: US President-elect Donald Trump wants to travel to China after he takes office as part of his effort to deepen relations with Beijing and also has talked to advisors about visit to India, a media report said Saturday.

Trump, who arrived at the Dulles International Airport aboard a special plane along with First Lady Melania and son Barron, had during his election campaign threatened to impose additional tariffs on China. “President-elect Donald Trump has told advisors he wants to travel to China after he takes office, according to people familiar with the discussions, seeking to deepen a relationship with Xi Jinping strained by the president-elect’s threat to impose steeper tariffs on Chinese imports,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Trump has also talked to advisers about a possible trip to India, according to people close to him,” the financial daily said. According to familiar sources, a preliminary level of talks were initiated when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Washington DC around Christmas last month.

India is all set to host the QUAD Summit composed of leaders from Australia, Japan and the United States. The visit could happen as early as April or in the fall later this year. It is also being considered as a possibility that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might be invited by Trump for a White House meeting this spring.

A day earlier, Trump had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi has deputed Vice-President Han Zheng to attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, the first time a senior Chinese official will be present at a US presidential inauguration. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar would represent India at the inaugural.