Howdy Trump at Quad Summit in India

US President Donald Trump will attend the Quad Summit in India later this year—likely his first visit to the country in his second term—as the two sides continue to collaborate on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), set up an Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, create new plurilateral arrangements in Western Indian Ocean, West Asia and Indo-Pacific, and deepen military cooperation in multinational settings.

- Prashant Jha

Laying out an expansive vision of multilateral cooperation across both the region west and east of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump affirmed that a "close partnership" between the US and India was "central to a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region" in a joint statement issued after their meeting at the White House on Thursday.

Quad summit in India

India and the US reaffirmed the principles that underpin Quad, including the centrality of Association of South East Nations (Asean), "adherence to international law and good governance; support for safety and freedom of navigation, over-flight and other lawful uses of the seas; unimpeded lawful commerce; and advocacy for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in accordance with international law".

While the first principle is meant to reassure Asean countries that Quad—it includes India, the US, Australia and Japan—is not out to displace their regional mechanism, the other principles are all coded language denoting opposition to Chinese behaviour and actions.

Modi said he looked forward to hosting Trump in New Delhi for the Quad leaders' summit. The summit is tentatively scheduled for the fall of this year.