Trump to skip India on his Asia tour in November; may still meet PM Modi

The White House has announced that United States President Donald Trump will travel to Asia from November 3-14

Trump's first Asia trip as President will take him to China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Hawaii.

The list of nations does not include India, but it's expected that Trump's visit could lead to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila.

Though no announcement has been made yet, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the regional summit, along with the American President.

It will be their third meeting, if they do indeed meet, after delegation-level talks in June in Washington DC and an interaction during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July.

 

"The President will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements - including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit - demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasise the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

The US President will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.