US President Donald Trump described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a great leader during an interview with Axios aired on Friday. He also named Chinese President Xi Jinping among the world leaders he admires most.
Trump made the remarks when asked to identify leaders he holds in highest regard for their power and execution. “Modi’s a great leader, and we do a lot of business with them, but now we do fair business. They used to really rip us off. I don’t blame them for that,” he said.
The president noted Modi’s long tenure and ability to maintain stability. He said Modi has been in power for more than 12 years and described him as a “tough guy” with a calm approach.
Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in France on Wednesday. The encounter aimed to address strains in bilateral ties that have persisted over the past year.
The comments come as the two countries continue talks on a bilateral trade agreement. Trump repeated that past US-India trade had favored India but said current dealings are fairer.
