'Modi likely to meet Trump only after trade deal': Brahma Chellaney on PM skipping ASEAN summit
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is likely to represent India at the ASEAN Summit
- Oct 23, 2025,
- Updated Oct 23, 2025 12:23 PM IST
Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to skip the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, which will be attended by US President Donald Trump, will be seen as a calculated diplomatic move amid ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.
"Modi's decision to skip the Trump-attended ASEAN summit will be read as a deliberate move to keep his distance from the mercurial U.S. President, who has kept up the squeeze on India with high tariffs and secondary sanctions," Chellaney wrote on X. "Modi likely prefers to meet Trump only once a trade deal is in hand — not before," he added.
Chellaney's comments came after reports confirmed that the Prime Minister is unlikely to travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN meetings scheduled from October 26 to 28 due to scheduling issues. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is likely to represent India at the deliberations.
News agency PTI reported that there is a possibility that Modi may address the ASEAN-India summit virtually. Malaysia has invited several dialogue partners, including President Trump, who is expected to travel to Kuala Lumpur on a two-day visit starting October 26.
The ASEAN-India dialogue partnership began in 1992 and was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012. The grouping comprises ten Southeast Asian nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
India had also considered an accompanying visit to Cambodia, which now stands postponed following the decision not to travel to Malaysia.
The upcoming ASEAN meet comes at a time when India-US relations are under strain, with Washington doubling tariffs on Indian goods to 50% and imposing additional duties linked to India's Russian oil imports.
Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to skip the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, which will be attended by US President Donald Trump, will be seen as a calculated diplomatic move amid ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.
"Modi's decision to skip the Trump-attended ASEAN summit will be read as a deliberate move to keep his distance from the mercurial U.S. President, who has kept up the squeeze on India with high tariffs and secondary sanctions," Chellaney wrote on X. "Modi likely prefers to meet Trump only once a trade deal is in hand — not before," he added.
Chellaney's comments came after reports confirmed that the Prime Minister is unlikely to travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN meetings scheduled from October 26 to 28 due to scheduling issues. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is likely to represent India at the deliberations.
News agency PTI reported that there is a possibility that Modi may address the ASEAN-India summit virtually. Malaysia has invited several dialogue partners, including President Trump, who is expected to travel to Kuala Lumpur on a two-day visit starting October 26.
The ASEAN-India dialogue partnership began in 1992 and was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012. The grouping comprises ten Southeast Asian nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
India had also considered an accompanying visit to Cambodia, which now stands postponed following the decision not to travel to Malaysia.
The upcoming ASEAN meet comes at a time when India-US relations are under strain, with Washington doubling tariffs on Indian goods to 50% and imposing additional duties linked to India's Russian oil imports.