莫迪或缺席东盟峰会，无缘与特朗普会面
Indian Prime Minister Modi will miss the ASEAN summit's offline meeting due to the domestic Diwali celebrations and will participate online instead. This decision causes him to miss a key opportunity for a direct meeting with U.S. President Trump. Currently, U.S.-India trade relations are at a sensitive moment, with reports this week suggesting that the two countries are close to reaching an agreement, with tax rates potentially dropping to 15%. However, the failure of both sides to meet may add uncertainty to the trade situation
Indian Prime Minister Modi will be absent from the ASEAN summit held in Kuala Lumpur, which means he will miss the potential opportunity to meet with U.S. President Trump.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed this news via social media on Thursday. He stated that Modi informed him by phone that he would attend the ASEAN summit online as India will still be celebrating Deepavali at that time.
He announced he would attend online because India will still be celebrating Deepavali. I respect this decision and extend my greetings for Deepavali to him and all the people of India.
Modi's decision not to attend the in-person meeting means he has lost a key platform for direct dialogue with Trump in a multilateral setting. Reports indicate that Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar may attend the summit on behalf of Modi.
Trade Direction Uncertain
Behind Modi's absence is the unresolved trade dispute between the U.S. and India. Previously, according to Xinhua, U.S. President Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian products exported to the U.S., citing India's "direct or indirect import of Russian oil." This means that the overall tariff rate imposed by the U.S. on India will reach 50%.
Tensions have taken on new dynamics this week. Reports indicate that Trump stated on Tuesday that he had spoken with Modi and received assurances from the Indian side that it would reduce energy purchases from Russia. However, as of now, New Delhi has not confirmed compliance with Trump's request. This summit could have provided a venue for the two leaders to manage differences and seek consensus.
At the same time, Indian media reported this week that India and the U.S. are close to reaching a trade agreement, with tariffs potentially decreasing from 50% to 15%. This positive signal stands in stark contrast to Modi's diplomatic arrangements this time, highlighting the complexity of the relationship between two major global economies and raising more questions about the ultimate direction of trade negotiations
