Yet Modi and India, the world's largest democracy, also represent a lynchpin in Biden's strategy in Asia. The country recently surpassed China to become the most populous country on Earth. 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. That, according to officials, was the rationale behind inviting Modi for a state visit, only the third of Biden's presidency so far.
And so, on Thursday the prime minister will be welcomed to the White House with the highest trappings of American friendship: Marching troops on the South Lawn, extensive Oval Office talks and a state dinner in the evening, complete with a chef who specializes in plant-based cuisine to accommodate Modi's vegetarian diet.
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