Missed Opportunity? Modi’s Retreat amide Trump and Xi Detente
US President Donald Trump & India PM Narendra Modi (Image credit X.com, File)
While US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping hold limelight, sharing mutual flattery, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from ASEAN has sparked debate in diplomatic circles over a lost chance for India.
By MANISH ANAND
New Delhi, October 30, 2025 — As global leaders gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Summit 2025, the absence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become one of the most discussed topics in diplomatic circles. While US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi held a series of high-level bilateral meetings, Modi chose to address the summit virtually — a move some see as a missed diplomatic opportunity for India.
This was the first time Trump attended a block meeting, hinting Washington’s renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific. Trump’s presence turned the meeting into a stage for potential geopolitical resets. In Busan, Trump met Xi after a gap of six years, where he greeted Chinese ruler with “President Xi is a great leader of a great country.” Xi called Trump a “Peace President.” Mutual flattery underpinned Xi-Trump Summit in Busan.
In contrast, Modi’s decision to stay back in India, reportedly due to domestic engagements including the ongoing Bihar elections, has raised questions about timing and priorities. Former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav wrote in a newspaper column that India must ensure “no strain comes upon its close relations with ASEAN nations” and urged stronger engagement under India’s “Act East” policy.
India’s ties with ASEAN have deep historical and cultural roots. Countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia share civilizational and Buddhist linkages with India, while Malaysia — the summit’s host — has long been a close strategic partner. Diplomatic observers say Modi’s physical presence could have reinforced India’s role as a key Indo-Pacific player at a time when US-China relations show signs of stabilization.
Several analysts argue that the optics of Modi missing face time with Trump — who met Xi, Japan’s Prime Minister, and South Korea’s President — could slow the momentum in US-India ties. Ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi have already dragged on for months, with no breakthrough on tariff issues yet.
Adding intrigue to the summit’s backdrop were unverified social media claims about a CIA operative’s death in Dhaka — a story largely ignored by mainstream media but amplified by right-wing platforms, speculating links to regional intelligence agencies. While these theories remain unsubstantiated, they reflect the tense geopolitical undercurrents shaping summit diplomacy.
In the end, the ASEAN Summit underscored a shifting Asian balance: Trump and Xi projecting cooperation, while India’s absence left a perceptible void. “When top leadership meets, personal warmth matters,” said a senior foreign policy analyst in Delhi, adding: “Modi’s handshake with Trump could have sent a powerful signal.”
With the Quad summit — which India was to host — still uncertain, questions linger: when will Trump and Modi meet next, and can the warmth return to US-India relations before strategic drift sets in?
For now, the diplomatic world is left wondering whether India’s missed moment in Kuala Lumpur will be remembered as a tactical retreat or a lost opportunity in the evolving Indo-Pacific order.
Trump Meets Xi: “Peace President” and “Great Leader” Reunite
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
About The Author
