Trump set to talk Indo-Pacific and 5G, a day after Modi’s grand welcome

Discussion of India’s 5G infrastructure plans may include the role of Chinese telecom giant Huawei

Trump’s visit, during his election year, is also likely an appeal to Indian-American voters, many of whom come from the western state of Gujarat

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US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ‘Namaste Trump’ event in Ahmedabad on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:42pm, 24 Feb 2020Updated: 6:40am, 25 Feb 2020

After a day of pomp and grandeur, which saw US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanging an embrace and praising each other at a stadium with some 125,000 fans, issues of geopolitics are expected to be high on the agenda when both meet on Tuesday morning.

Ajit Pai, the US Federal Communications commission chief who is accompanying Trump, has made it clear he will be discussing the issue of 5G infrastructure and, potentially, the role of the Chinese telecom giant Huawei in setting up India’s 5G systems.

Military cooperation will likely also be discussed, as the US moves to boost its Indo-Pacific strategy to contain Chinese influence in the region.

But little of that mattered on Monday as the US leader landed to great fanfare in Ahmedabad, western India.

People line the street and wave flags as the motorcade for US President Donald Trump heads to a ‘Namaste Trump’ event in Ahmedabad on Monday. Photo: AP

The South Asian nation went to great lengths to roll out the red carpet for Trump – it hurried to get a cricket stadium, touted to be the world’s largest, ready in time so that he could address 125,000 people from it.

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