The rise of India and the current difficulties in Pakistan has made South Asia more important at the global level, a former top US official said, as he acknowledged the declining power of the America due to the emergence of a new world order.
The US is still and will remain the strongest power economically and militarily for the next two decades, Richard Armitage said.
"There's been a relative decline," of the US Armitage told PBS news channel yesterday. The new world order, in which there is shift of power towards Asia, means the relative decline of the US.
"There's been a relative rise in China, which has brought forth a real competition in Asia for influence and for economic growth," he observed.
In the other part of the globe, we had a real change in Russian relationships recently, where they're actually out courting old enemies, such as the Turks and so, I think you're seeing a fundamental reordering, he added.
"I don't like the term new world order either, but the fundamental reordering of the traditional relationships.
"Europe means a little less than it did in the past and South Asia is a little bit more, given the rise of India and the difficulties of Pakistan. We're in a state of flux." Armitage added.
The former Bush era official was critical of the China policies of the Obama Administration in terms of initially not moving with the arms sales to Taiwan or not meeting the Dalai Lama at the White House.
But at the same time, he was appreciative of his Iran policies.
"I think the fact that the president the other day reiterated his call for dialogue with Iran is indicative of the fact that the administration believes sanctions are biting. Sanctions are starting to take a major affect in Iran. I think the jury is still out myself.
I think the Iranians have had plenty of time to figure their workarounds around the sanctions. So, I think it's a work in progress," Armitage said.
