Modi visits Washington to strengthen Biden-US ties. Despite human rights concerns in India, U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to strengthen defense and technology collaboration during Modi’s White House visit.
However, Modi arrived late to visit the National Science Foundation on Wednesday afternoon, prompting the president’s wife, Jill Biden, a teacher, to start without him.
Modi apologized after arriving 30 minutes late for the visit. He had a private dinner with the Bidens at the White House. Before entering the White House, the president and prime minister joked and grinned. After Congress and a rare press conference with Biden, Modi will attend a state dinner on Thursday night.
Washington regards India as a crucial partner in countering China. Modi wants to boost India’s global prominence, the world’s most populous nation at 1.4 billion.
On Tuesday, national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden would express U.S. worries about democratic backsliding under Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. “We do so in a way where we don’t seek to lecture or assert that we don’t have challenges ourselves,” he said.
U.S. corporations are embracing Modi with business agreements in artificial intelligence (A.I.), quantum computing, and investments in India by Micron Technology (MU.O) and others.
Modi invited American students to India during his engagement with Jill Biden and said he looked forward to seeing “young and creative minds” in Washington. Modi said India had A.I. laboratories across and trained students.
Last year, the White House reported over 200,000 Indian students studying in the U.S.
Thursday’s presser is uncommon. Modi has not had an Indian press conference since becoming prime minister nine years ago. He avoided questions at an Indian press conference in May 2019.
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