Posted on 11/19/2009 5:22:04 PM PST by cold start
NEW DELHI: A day after US ambassador Timothy Roemer tried to douse the China fire and create a positive atmosphere for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the US, Washington went on the charm offensive, playing up the importance of India in the US’ scheme of things and acknowledging Indo-Pak issue were by and large a bilateral concern.
Trying to mollify an annoyed New Delhi, Under-Secretary of State William Burns maintained that both China and India were important to the US.
Mr Burns attempted to clarify the intention of the US-China joint statement saying that Washington looked to Beijing as well as New Delhi to play a positive and stabilising role in Afghanistan.
“United States is interested in pursuing the best and healthiest possible partnership with China; but that does not come at the expense of other increasingly important partnership, particularly our relationship with India,” he said.
The Indian government on Thursday had reacted strongly to the US suggestion of China playing a greater role in the region. But Washington immediately went on into damage-control mode.
Mr Burn’s remarks were echoed by Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert Blake, who also highlighted the importance of Indo-US ties. “I don’t think there needs to be any concern in India about what the President said in China. We have very important relations with China. But we have equally important relations with India,” he said and maintained that Mr Singh’s visit to India would bring this out.
He further maintained that China had an interest in helping stabilise Afghanistan and Pakistan as the Chinese also have significant investments in the area.
On Indo-Pak ties, Mr Blake said that the initiative to improve ties had to come from Pakistan. “I think the priority is for Pakistan to take action against the (26/11) Mumbai suspects that it has in custody and again, just to make sure that there’s no cross-border infiltration and that Pakistan is not used as a platform for terrorists to attack either India or other neighbouring countries,” he said.
China too plays down statement
After India’s sharp reaction to the Sino-US joint statement, China too tried to pacify India, saying that it was not trying to interfere in Indo-Pak ties, reports our Political Bureau from New Delhi.
According to agency reports from Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang tried to downplay the significance of the Sino-US joint statement when asked what China thought was its role in India-Pakistan relationship.
Mr Qin said that Beijing hoped for gradual improvement in Indo-Pak ties. “China hopes for a gradual improvement in the relations between India and Pakistan.”
He said that India and Pakistan had to resolve bilateral issues. “On the bilateral issues facing their two countries, it’s up to India and Pakistan to resolve those.”
Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives unanimously adopted by voice vote a resolution to welcome Mr Singh to the US and commend the maturing of India-US relations.
Bush’s Carefully crafted balance between India and China is being destroyed by the Idiot and Chief.
He further maintained that China had an interest in helping stabilise Afghanistan and Pakistan as the Chinese also have significant investments in the area.
Oh right, tens of thousands of chinese settlers in Tibet and all those hungry Maoists in Nepal.
You must be mistaken. Obama is a gifted communicator with a vast understanding of other cultures. Everybody loves us now.
Obama, our village idiot. However, let it be noted, we have many village idiots … Biden, Palosi, Reid and the list goes on.
The list, ping
Zer0 should tell India he’s mostly concerned with Po-ke-stahn.
If Everyone is comprised of Chavez, Castro, Terrorists, and....
The idiot should not venture further than his Wednesday night cocktail parties at the White House. Beyond that, he’s a disaster.
F’n knucklehead is fullfilling his destiny to insure the US is a non-player in the End Times, (capitalization mine; scoffers flame away)!
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