WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are devoting the Indian chief’s state go to Thursday to launching new partnerships in protection, semiconductor manufacturing and extra sectors as they appear to strengthen their international locations’ essential — albeit difficult — relationship.
1000’s gathered on the White Home South Garden for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the group — together with many sari and shalwar kameez-clad members of the Indian diaspora — broke out in a chant of “Modi, Modi, Modi.”
“All eyes are on the 2 largest democracies on the planet, India and America,” Modi mentioned because the leaders met within the Oval Workplace. “I imagine that our strategic partnership is necessary. I’m assured that working collectively will probably be profitable.”
With Modi by his facet on the earlier welcoming ceremony, Biden mentioned he believes the U.S.-India relationship “will probably be one of many defining relationships of the twenty first century. Since I’ve grow to be president, we’ve continued to construct a relationship constructed on mutual belief, candor and respect.”
However as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and a few U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president’s choice to supply the excessive honor to a pacesetter whose nine-year tenure over the world’s largest democracy has seen a backslide in political, non secular and press freedoms.
Biden administration officers say honoring Modi, the chief of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Celebration, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will probably be important in coming a long time as either side navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of local weather change, synthetic intelligence, provide chain resilience and different points.
Nonetheless, Biden subtly mirrored on human rights in India initially of an Oval Workplace assembly with Modi that kicked off formal talks. The president mentioned he needed the partnership to be “grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of regulation.”
White Home nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned Biden will increase his considerations however keep away from lecturing the prime minister.
“The query of the place politics and the query of democratic establishments go in India goes to be decided inside India by Indians,” Sullivan mentioned. “It’s not going to be decided by the USA.” He mentioned “our half is to talk out on behalf of common values.”
Among the many bulletins to be made Thursday is an settlement that may enable U.S.-based Common Electrical to companion with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to provide jet engines for Indian plane in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, in line with senior Biden administration officers. The officers briefed reporters on situation of anonymity to preview agreements earlier than they’re introduced.
The Biden administration is also popping out with plans to bolster India’s semiconductor business. U.S.-based Micron Expertise has agreed to construct a $2.75 billion semiconductor meeting and check facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India financing the remainder. U.S.-based Utilized Supplies is asserting it would launch a brand new semiconductor middle for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Analysis, one other semiconductor manufacturing tools firm, will begin a coaching program for 60,000 Indian engineers.
On the area entrance, India will signal on to the the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for area exploration cooperation amongst nations taking part in NASA’s lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian House Analysis Group additionally agreed to make a joint mission to the Worldwide House Station subsequent 12 months.
“We made important and rising applied sciences the pillar of our subsequent technology partnership to make sure these applied sciences promote and defend our values, stay open, accessible, trusted and safe,” Biden added. “All this issues for America, for India and for the world.”
The State Division may also announce plans to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, whereas India will reopen its consulate in Seattle.
On the welcoming ceremony, Modi known as the Indian diaspora in America — the hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their youngsters from the subcontinent residing within the U.S. — “the actual power” of the U.S.-India relationship. He mentioned the consideration of a proper state go to — the primary within the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modi’s predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 — mirrored the constructive influence Indians are having worldwide.
Modi, the son a tea vendor who rose to be India’s premier, additionally recalled that the primary time he visited the White Home was three a long time in the past as a “widespread man.”
“I’ve come right here many occasions however at the moment for the primary time, the doorways of the White Home have been opened for the Indian American group in such giant numbers,” Modi mentioned to an estimated crowd of seven,000.
Regardless of the foremost offers, the go to will probably be shadowed by considerations laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who query Modi’s dedication to democratic rules.
Modi has confronted criticism over laws amending the nation’s citizenship regulation that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants however excludes Muslims, an increase in violence towards Muslims and different non secular minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the latest conviction of India’s prime opposition chief, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modi’s surname.
In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modi’s visa to the U.S., citing considerations that, as chief minister of Gujarat, he didn’t act to cease communal violence throughout 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left greater than 1,000 folks useless. An investigation authorized by the Indian Supreme Court docket later absolved Modi, however the stain of the darkish second has lingered.
A gaggle of greater than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to lift considerations in regards to the erosion of non secular, press and political freedoms in the course of the go to.
“It is a vital nation to me, and we should name out among the actual points which are threatening the viability of democracy in all of our international locations,” mentioned Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who was born in India and helped set up the lawmakers’ letter. “If India continues to backslide, I believe it would have an effect on our means to have a very robust relationship with the nation.”
Biden and Modi have additionally had variations over Russia’s battle in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to affix the worldwide coalition towards Russia. For the reason that begin of the battle, the Modi authorities has additionally dramatically elevated its buy of Russian oil.
White Home officers be aware that there are indicators of change in India’s relationship with Russia, which has lengthy been New Delhi’s largest protection provider.
India is shifting away from Russian navy tools, wanting extra to the U.S., Israel, Britain and different nations. Modi not too long ago met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries in regards to the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia.
State visits sometimes are reserved for America’s closest allies, however in addition they have been used up to now as a carrot to attempt to strengthen relationships with international locations with which the USA has had difficult relationships.
Modi’s busy itinerary on Thursday additionally contains an handle to Congress and a lavish White Home state dinner.
Modi, who hasn’t taken half in a proper press convention in years, has agreed to take part in a single with Biden, in line with the White Home. Sometimes, state visits embrace a information convention by which the leaders take questions from two members of the U.S. press and two from the visiting press corps.
Modi is to be honored at a State Division luncheon on Friday hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He is also scheduled to deal with members of the Indian diaspora earlier than departing Washington.
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Related Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.
