Mr Lee, however, arrived at the meeting prepared. He not only hailed Mr Trump’s economic acumen and design sense, but also agreed with Mr Trump’s belief that North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un would not have continued to enhance his nuclear capabilities if Mr Trump remained in office in 2020. It was a tactic that many, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, used in meetings with Mr Trump to great effect.
This effusive flattery seemed to defuse Mr Trump’s concerns, acting as a cherry on top of US$350 billion worth of investment deals in areas such as shipbuilding and energy. Though the South Korean delegation did not secure a lower tariff rate, the avoidance of a showdown in the Oval Office was a diplomatic victory.
A BRIDGE TOO FAR FOR INDIA
The case of India, however, underlines a more troubling reality: Gifts and flattery are not enough.
Mr Modi was one of the first leaders to visit Washington back in February, agreeing to negotiate a trade deal that would double bilateral trade to US$500 billion by 2030. As recently as June, a trade agreement with India was supposedly imminent. However, these hopes unravelled, with Mr Trump threatening the 50 per cent tariffs on Jul 31.
Mr Modi’s inability to lower trade barriers to India’s agricultural market due to political constraints played a role in these developments. However, a more persuasive argument points to Mr Trump’s repeated assertions about defusing the India-Pakistan border conflict in May as the issue that drove a wedge in the bilateral relationship.
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