By Sanxuan

After the "Trump-Meeting" was canceled, the "Trump-Mohi Meeting" also has no chance.

On Wednesday local time, the host of the ASEAN Summit, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, stated that Indian Prime Minister Modi will not attend this ASEAN Summit, citing that India is celebrating the Diwali festival, and as a prime minister, Modi needs to share joy with the people.

Modi's absence from the ASEAN Summit

That's what they said, but even the Indian media themselves say that Modi almost never misses the ASEAN Summit. Diwali might be one reason, but it's not the decisive factor. It's more likely because he doesn't want to meet Trump, so he found an excuse to decline.

American media also think this way. The report pointed out that Modi's move means he will lose the opportunity to meet Trump. And their last meeting was in February this year at the White House.

At a Diwali event held by Indian-Americans in the United States, Trump said he had already called Modi and discussed the India-Pakistan situation.

Unexpectedly, just after saying that, Modi followed up by posting that he hopes India and the United States can jointly combat terrorism, but didn't mention Pakistan at all.

Modi and Trump met at the White House in February this year

Not long after, another source revealed that Modi and Trump did not directly mention Pakistan, and Trump was once again proven wrong.

Considering the recent interactions between Modi and Trump, it can be seen that although their relationship is no longer as tense as before, there are still some awkward situations after a reconciliation. Plus, trade disputes between the two countries have not ended, so it's quite normal for Modi not to meet Trump at this time.

An important reason why India has not given up buying Russian oil is also a factor. Trump recently claimed that Modi had promised him not to buy Russian oil. However, the Indian Foreign Ministry immediately stepped in to clarify that there had been no recent calls between the two sides, let alone Modi expressing loyalty to Trump.

Modi and Putin

Generally, when such things happen, people would feel embarrassed and try to lower their profile as much as possible. But Trump is not like that. He not only showed no shame, but also insisted on his statement, claiming to have received Modi's assurance, and warned India that if it didn't comply, it would continue to maintain high tariffs.

Modi's image domestically is a strong political leader, so he can't afford to show weakness to Trump. Thus, both sides have maintained an awkward relationship, stuck in a stalemate.

On the other hand, Sino-Indian relations have continued to warm up. During the Diwali period, Chinese and Indian soldiers stationed at the border resumed the tradition of exchanging candies to express friendly intentions. Last year, there was also this activity, but at that time, Sino-Indian relations had not clearly improved, and only symbolic candy exchanges took place at five meeting points.

Since the beginning of this year, Sino-Indian contacts have increased, and several meetings have been held regarding the border situation. Modi himself also visited China after seven years, attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

Sino-Indian relations continue to heat up

During this time, Modi held talks with leaders of China and Russia, and posted on social media "showing affection", praising Putin extensively, which made Trump very angry. The latter then posted a sharp criticism of India's purchase of Russian energy, with the sarcasm almost overflowing the screen.

In short, India is still playing the same old game of hedging its bets. When it breaks away from the US, it seeks cooperation with China, and when US-India relations improve, it may turn its attention back to China.

But regardless of that, the improvement of Sino-Indian relations is a good thing. The stability of the border situation and the normal exchange and communication between the two countries are better than constant deadlock.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7564357167659926079/

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