With President Trump now in town together with a barrage of media attention, there is now some sense of what to expect from the visit. Officials have hinted at a reprimand on trade, a call for patching up things with Pakistan even while calling it out on terrorism, and a rap on Delhi’s wrist on the issue of ‘religious freedoms’ with reference to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.

None of this is certain, since the POTUS is known to ignore bureaucrats’ advice and chart his own policy when a visit or an issue pleases him. There will also be an announcement of a big defence buy, and more stalling on the 5G license. An issue that however lies at the foundation of the bilateral relationship will claim just a line in the forthcoming Joint Statement. How that line is written will set the stage for not just India US relations, but also Delhi’s relationship with Beijing. The issue at stake is how much India chooses to align with the US on the ‘Indo-Pacific’.