The next two weeks will see an unusual trio of visitors to the United States. The heads of state of the world’s two most populous nations and the Pope are all coming to America. And the visitors from Asia will include stops on the west coast. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.
Late September is a popular time for international leaders to visit the United States.
It’s not about the weather, it’s because of the United Nations.
Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the U.N. General Assembly, and they will both be making stops on the west coast with a distinctive business flavor.
President Xi’s itinerary in Washington state includes a visit to Boeing, a CEO roundtable, and a U.S./China Internet Industry Forum.
Then it’s on to Washington D.C. for meetings and a state dinner, followed by New York.
Xi will be the FOURTH Chinese leader in a row to visit Seattle, while Narendra Modi will be the first Indian leader in more than twenty years to stop on the west coast.
Modi will head to Silicon Valley with events at Facebook and Google, maybe a meeting at Apple, and a probable stop in Fremont to visit Tesla’s factory floor.
Modi will start and finish his trip in New York, where he’s likely to meet President Obama.
Several media outlets in India have pointed out that Modi is likely to spend some time with the CEO’s of Google, Microsoft and Adobe Systems. All of whom happen to be of Indian descent.
