US President Joe Biden is expected to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Australia in May when they convene for the Quad summit along with the leaders of Australia and Japan.
Joe Biden is planning to host PM Modi for a state dinner this summer, people familiar with the matter said. The White House aims for the state dinner to take place in June but the timing could slip, the people familiar said. A spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment.
The formal state visit is a sign of the deepening US-India relationship as the administration advances policies and initiatives for a free and open Indo-Pacific to counter what it sees as a growing threat posed by China.
The dinner with India’s leader will be Biden’s third formal state visit and dinner, following one he hosted for French President Emmanuel Macron in December and one for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol scheduled for April 26.
The US and India last month announced an Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, a plan to share advanced defense and computing technology, including the joint production of General Electric Co. jet engines.
The partnership on critical technologies is intended in part to counter Russian influence in India by reducing New Delhi’s historic reliance on Moscow for military hardware, and China’s growing assertiveness. US political leaders of both parties have sought to strengthen ties with PM Modi.