Trump covetous of Indian dollars

February 25, 2020 - 9:38

TEHAN - Donald Trump, who has come under severe criticism by the public and Democratic figures for his unwise foreign policy decisions, is trying to present a better image of himself in the remaining time to the November presidential elections.

President Trump, who had bet his reputation on stopping the flow of Chinese goods to the U.S. in campaign trails, finally started a trade war with China.  

And in line with this policy, Trump visited India on Monday for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reinforce his anti-China stance first by signing lucrative arms contracts with New Delhi as a rival to Beijing and then taste India dollars after Arab petrodollars.

At the start of his two-day state visit to India, Trump said the U.S. will sign military deals worth more than $3 billion with India on Tuesday. 

“We make the greatest weapons ever made. Airplanes. Missiles. Rockets. Ships. We make the best and we’re dealing now with India. But this includes advanced air-defense systems and armed and unarmed aerial vehicles,” Trump told a crowd at the western Indian city of Ahmedabad as he shared the stage with Prime Minister Modi, Bloomberg reported.

“I believe the United States should be India's premier defense partner, and that's the way it's working out,” Trump said, according to nbcnews.com.

Trump also said, "America loves India. America respects India, and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people," al Jazeera reported.

Trump was welcomed with a hug from Prime Minister Modi.

Last week, India’s cabinet cleared $2.6 billion purchase from Lockheed Martin Corp. of 24 multi-role MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters to Indian navy.

The State Department has also approved a potential sale to India of $1.8 billion in arms, including air-defense radars and missiles, rifles and other equipment, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced.

In a commentary published on Feb. 20, the Wall Street Journal said when Trump makes his first visit to India as president, there will be one thing keeping U.S.-India relations on track: China.

Bipartisan support for India has weakened in the U.S. Congress since the Modi government’s hardline Hindu nationalist turn last year, and trade squabbles between Washington and New Delhi continue. But geopolitics still binds the U.S. and India together even as economics and human rights threaten to drive them apart, the WSJ said.

The Financial Times said Trump extols U.S.-India ties as a counterweight to China.

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