When you look at China, you have to look at India as well. As Presidential candidate and President- elect, Mr.Obama had questioned India's control of Kashmir, cuasing deep concern in New Delhi. During his visit to China last year, the President in a joint state-ment with the Chinese had seemed to enviage a monitoring role for Beijing in resolving issues between India and Pakistan, which hurt feelings in India.

The simple truth is that India's rise and its strength and progress on the global stage is deeply in the strategic interests of the US. Clearly the US recognises India as a serious rival to the other rising power in the region, China, and see's merit in reaching out to New Delhi. For awhile there , the Obama administration, in its anxiety to forge closer ties with china, had neglected India, but no more.

What washington would likely want India to do would be take a more active role in East Asia to balance China's growing influence. as one Chinese analyist noted, rapprochement between the US and India would help temper Beijings behavior, partly if it deviates from its professed 'peacefull' rise.
In turn, some Chinese see India's "Look East" policy as part of an attempt to encircle it.Add the US strategy of using one to check the other, and the situation becomes less certain.
China would have preferred an India that adheres to its tradition of independance in its foriegn policy. But the US has been busy drawing lines in the sand vis-a-vis China in the recent months, and it is clear which side of the line India prefers to stand.

For better or worse, we live in interesting times.

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CHILCUTT~
The secret to a long life. Is knowing when it is time to leave.