Donald Trump to skip India in Asia tour, but could meet PM Narendra Modi

Washington: The White House announced on Friday that United States President Donald Trump will take a five-nation trip to the Asia Pacific region from November 3-14.

The White House said that Trump will travel to China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. He will also make a stop at Hawaii. 

This will be his first trip to Asia as a President. 

Trump's list of nations does not include India, but it's expected that his visit could lead to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila.

Though no announcement has been made yet, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the regional summit, along with the American president.

It will be their third meeting, if they do indeed meet, after delegation-level talks in June in Washington D.C. and an interaction during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany in July.

"The President will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements - including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit - demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasise the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

The US president will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. 

(With Agency inputs)