VOA新闻杂志2023--Biden Welcomes India’s Modi with State Visit

Biden Welcomes India’s Modi with State Visit

American President Joe Biden welcomed India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday with a state visit at the White House.

The visit was meant to establish stronger defense¹ and economic ties between the two countries. The visit was also seen as an effort to counter China's worldwide influence.

Biden welcomed Modi with a colorful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony in the morning. He said, "I've long believed the relationship between the United States and India...will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century."

With Modi by his side, Biden added, "Since I've become president, we've continued to build a relationship built on mutual² trust, candor³ and respect."

Modi is the son of a tea seller who rose to become India's prime minister. He recalled that the first time he visited the White House was 30 years ago as a "common man."

"I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers," Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000 people.

Speaking in both English and Hindi, Modi thanked Biden, saying, "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honor and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India."

Modi added, "This is also an honor for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the U.S."

The gathering⁴ listened to violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the singing group Penn Masala.

The two leaders then met in the Oval Office for talks, followed by a state dinner in the evening.

Major agreements

Biden and Modi plan to announce that the U.S. will permit General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics⁵ to produce jet engines for Indian military aircraft. India also plans to buy American-made MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones for its armed forces.

In addition, U.S. Navy ships will soon be able to stop in Indian seaports⁶ for repairs under an agreement that the two governments reached.

Several American companies also announced plans aimed at helping⁷ India's semiconductor⁸ industry.

Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75-billion semiconductor plant in India. Micron will spend $800 million and India will provide the rest.

Applied⁹ Materials also says it will launch a new semiconductor center in India. And Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers.

India has also agreed to join the U.S.-led Artemis Accords on space exploration. It will also work with the American space agency NASA on a joint¹⁰ mission to the International Space Station in 2024.

Biden said, "All this matters for America, for India and for the world."

Some members of Congress boycott¹¹

Despite the warm welcome from the White House, some U.S. lawmakers raised concerns about the state of democracy in India.

Three Democrats¹³ -- U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib -- have said they would boycott Modi's speech to Congress on Thursday. And 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden asking him to raise concerns with Modi about the decrease in religious, press and political freedoms in India.

Representative Pramila Jayapal is a Democrat¹² from Washington state who was born in India. She helped organize the lawmakers' letter. She said, "If India continues to backslide, I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with the country."

Modi has been to the United States five times since becoming prime minister in 2014. But this is his first trip with the full diplomatic status of a state visit.

Modi is the third leader that Biden has honored with a state visit. Since becoming president, Biden has also welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for state visits.

Words in This Story

mutual - adj. shared between two or more people or groups

candor - n. open and sincere

origin - n. a place where a person comes from

backslide - v. to start doing something bad again after you have stopped it

status - n. official position

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

3 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

6 seaports   

n.海港( seaport的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Airports have joined seaports as ports of entry for the visiting foreigner. 机场和海港一样成为来访的外国人的入境关口。 来自互联网
• Sanya has 16 seaports, 10 islands and 180km of coastline. 三亚有16个港口、10个海岛和180公里的海岸线。 来自互联网

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 semiconductor   

n.半导体

参考例句：

• In the beginning,engineers hoped to use semiconductor lasers.在开始时，工程师们希望能够利用半导体激光器。
• The main agent of the company brand semiconductor sales.本公司主要代理各品牌半导体销售。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

12 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

13 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》