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With eye on Beijing, US signals ‘full embrace’ of Delhi

hawx

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WASHINGTON: President Obama's top national security adviser said on Thursday that the United States has "given a full embrace of India's rise," leaving little doubt that Washington sees New Delhi as a strategic counterweight to Beijing regardless of what China, India itself, and the rest of the world thinks of the idea and their response to it.

The exuberant phrasing from national security advisor Tom Donilon, coming just ahead of the President's first foray abroad (to South East Asia) after his re-election, spilled out in response to a searching question from an Indonesian diplomat who wondered about the evolving US relationship with India and China, and why in his speech, Donilon had described India as a strategic partner but not China.

"There's more of an element of competition when you described your relationship with China and there's nothing like that when you describe your relationship with India. Is it too much for us in Southeast Asia, for example, to expect that one day there will be a strategic partnership between US and China?" the diplomat, Indonesia's ambassador to US Dino Patti Djalal, asked after a Donilon speech in which he used the familiar expression of India as America's strategic partner for the 21st century.

In his reply, Donilon stepped it up a notch. "With respect to India, we have given a full embrace of India's rise. The President went to India on a three-day trip, as you know, and stood beneath the picture of Mahatma Gandhi, and called for India's membership in a reformed Security Council," he told the gathering of policy wonks at the Center for Strategic and International studies.

"It's a full embrace of India's rise as a partner," he repeated. "And again, as two of the most important democracies in the world, it's an important strategic thrust for us as well."

Donilon agreed that the US relationship with China is full of challenges, but said Washington is trying to build a stable, productive, constructive relationship with Beijing that can accommodate elements of competition.

"We're trying to build a relationship between China and the United States against a backdrop of theoreticians who say that this is not possible to do; that history would point you to the inevitability of conflict between a rising power and a status quo power," news agencies quoted Donilon as saying.

"We don't believe that international relations is some subset of physics. There is human agency and leadership involved here, and that's what we're trying to do, to build this out in the most constructive and positive, productive relationship that we can," he added.

The elaborate and nuanced remarks from the top national security official came even as President Obama embarks on a landmark visit to Burma, the first by a US President, this weekend. He will meet Burma's celebrated leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who would have returned from New Delhi by then. From Burma, he will go to Thailand and Cambodia, where he will attend the Asean summit, as part of a continuing US effort to project itself as an Asia-Pacific power that will not cede influence to China as it builds on old alliances and new.

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whats your opinion on this ?

Should India try to squeeze all it can get in terms of high tech defence deals ,investments etc or India should take her steps very cautiously ????
 
We should keep in mind that we share borders with China, not US. They are our neighbors and we can have cooperation at many levels too. So better if we make our own place and keep relations better with both US and China. US has ditched Philippines and Vietnam in middle during recent spats of these countries with China.

It would bad decision if we move into US camp. We should rather follow our independent Foreign Policy like we have been following in last few decades.
 
We should try to get our balance right. We will have to think about our relation with china and russia.


exactly,i was also wondering about the INDO-RUSSIAN relations and with recent development such as huge oil reserves being found in Russia, Russia might return to its former glory which can benefit India vastly,but we cant ignore that today's Russia is also plagued with corruption.
 
exactly,i was also wondering about the INDO-RUSSIAN relations and with recent development such as huge oil reserves being found in Russia, Russia might return to its former glory which can benefit India vastly,but we cant ignore that today's Russia is also plagued with corruption.

Russia was always like this. But we have a strategic partnership with them, and one does not annoy existing friend to make a new friend.
 
exactly,i was also wondering about the INDO-RUSSIAN relations and with recent development such as huge oil reserves being found in Russia, Russia might return to its former glory which can benefit India vastly,but we cant ignore that today's Russia is also plagued with corruption.

Well if Russia were to see Indo-American relations improved significantly, what do you think the Russians will do?
 
Whether we embrace it or not will depend mostly on china's attitude.If the military presence and sneak incursions in tibet area increase we would have no choice really.
 
Well if Russia were to see Indo-American relations improved significantly, what do you think the Russians will do?

We Indians would like stay away from US-Russia's mutual problem, at the present moment our concern is China.
 
In future , a post Putin future , I only foresee Russia getting closer to America . I don't think either of these countries is bothered by India's relations with the other.

It's Iran//Israel-America where the balancing act will have to be done .
 
Well if Russia were to see Indo-American relations improved significantly, what do you think the Russians will do?
Russia is vital for our force modernization, it can delay some of the projects or make terms less suitable to us. America is not in a position to step in russia's shoes now (not even 10-15 years)
Also, Indians like a multipolar world, we might not be able to be a pole but will prefer a counterweight against USA (or any big world power).
 
We welcome India US cooperations. We are not making any block against anyone. Friendship with everyone except enemy..

US want India against China, Russia is India's friend, Iran want India aginst UAE, Isreal is India's friend, UAE making friendship with India probleming Pakistan, Both AL and BNP of bangladesh wants friendship with India, Austrailia is saying India better than China.

Ab India kahan kahan jayega...:hitwall:
 
Russia is vital for our force modernization, it can delay some of the projects or make terms less suitable to us. America is not in a position to step in russia's shoes now (not even 10-15 years)
Also, Indians like a multipolar world, we might not be able to be a pole but will prefer a counterweight against USA (or any big world power).

Actually I believe it would go the opposite since India can look somewhere else if Russia were to delay the projects or negotiate terms that are unacceptable. Russia is not in that position since they don't have that kind of monopoly. They be begging to be on India's good side.
 
Its true USA have moved away from the era of India-Pakistan status quo and moved to offer goodies.

But then, Issues such as USA blocking Israeli ASEA radar, Arrow missile sales makes India wonder

Was this just to drive away Israel from India's arms market where is USA is competitor or can USA be trusted at all?
 
Actually I believe it would go the opposite since India can look somewhere else if Russia were to delay the projects or negotiate terms that are unacceptable. Russia is not in that position since they don't have that kind of monopoly. They be begging to be on India's good side.

I was talking about the 'full embrace' situation. Indian policymakers want India to be like france not UK and I tend to agree with them.
Unfortunately we dont have the capability of french, hence will have to be humble and seek friendship of both russia and USA.

Now even in this balancing act, the tilt will always be towards russia simply because the relation is longer and has proved to be quite durable.
Indo american relationship requires some time to mature.
 

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