Here’s how the American media covered the PM’s visit:
FOX news
The news website on Friday carried a story headlined: “Biden-Modi star-studded state dinner draws elite guests”
“The opulent state dinner was a celebration of US-India relations, an international partnership that the Biden administration sees as key to future global security,” the report said.
New York Times
On the New York Times’ homepage on Friday, its biggest story was headlined: “Biden Seeks to Bolster Ties With Modi While Soft-Pedaling Differences”.
The report noted that President Joe Biden emphasised common ground with PM Modi and announced joint initiatives “without making progress in enlisting help against Russian aggression”.
“President Biden emphasized common ground with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during a lavish state visit on Thursday, publicly skirting points of friction over the government’s crackdown on human rights in India and Russia’s war in Ukraine,” it stated.
The NYT article further opined that Biden “showered him (Modi) with expansive flattery” while making no evident progress resolving the disagreements – such as India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war – which have been straining India-US ties.
Washington Post
A day after PM Modi addressed the US Congress at the White House, a story in Washington Post was headlined: “Prime Minister Modi focuses on India’s growth in congressional speech”.
Another article was headlined: “Biden defends India’s democracy as Modi visits”. The report stated that the US president was “praising an Indian leader who had been widely accused of overseeing a series of repressive moves in his country”.
Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal homepage carried an article headlined: “Biden Hails Stronger US Ties to India in Meeting With Modi”.
The article noted that arms deals made between PM Modi and Biden was aimed at weaning India off weapons purchases from Russia.
“The two countries’ move toward greater cooperation stems from India’s strategic importance in the US campaign to counter China, as well as American interest in stifling Russian influence in developing nations,” read the article.
USA Today
The daily had a story headlined: “Red carpets and yellow yoga mats: Five moments from Indian PM Modi’s state visit”
The article noted that the Biden administration has been embracing PM Modi more closely as it seeks to counter China’s global influence with India’s help.
CNN
An article by CNN noted that the Indian PM’s visit “required President Joe Biden to make certain trade-offs and Modi to step out of his comfort zone, for at least a few minutes during their joint press conference”.
It noted that the world’s largest democracy represents a lynchpin in Biden’s strategy in Asia.
“No major global challenge, from climate change to advances in technology, can be addressed without India’s buy-in, in Biden’s view. And in an era of growing tensions between the US and China, there are few partners that Biden is more eager to cultivate,” said the report.
Politico
The website on Friday carried the story headline: “Biden is happy to throw Modi an esteemed dinner. And bite his lip about human rights”.
“President Joe Biden hailed the country’s deepening relationship with India as he stood alongside its leader Thursday, highlighting the ascendant nation’s strategic importance while making only oblique references to New Delhi’s backsliding democracy,” said the report.
