Donald Trump calls India 'very big abuser' of trade ahead of meeting with PM Modi

Former US President Donald Trump said at a campaign event on Tuesday that India was a "very big abuser" of the US-India trade relationship and that he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.

The Republican candidate for the November presidential election, speaking in Flint, Michigan, gave no details on where they would meet.

US President Joe Biden will host a summit with leaders from Australia, India, and Japan on September 21 in Delaware. Analysts say Washington has increasingly seen New Delhi as a counter to China's rising influence in Asia.

Some other world leaders who have visited the US in recent months for meetings with Biden and other summits have also ended up meeting Trump. The Republican faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election.

Polls show a tight race between Trump and Harris, who is of Indian descent.

Despite criticising India over trade without being specific, Trump called Modi "fantastic."

Trump and Modi enjoyed warm relations while the former president was in office. When Trump visited India in 2020, Modi held a huge rally for him that also marked the opening of the world's largest cricket stadium. Rally attendees wore "Namaste Trump" hats to welcome the Republican.

When Modi visited the US in 2019, he and Trump showered each other with praise at a "Howdy, Modi!" rally in Texas attended by more than 50,000.

Modi has also enjoyed good relations with Democratic presidents like Barack Obama and Biden. The White House rolled out the red carpet for him last year, touting deals on defense and commerce.