The US is willing to take steps to improve relationship between India and China and wants to work closely with New Delhi on a wide range of issues in East Asia, a top Obama Administration official has said.
"We frankly support an improvement in dialogue between India and China, and we would seek to take steps to facilitate that as we move forward," the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell yesterday told foreign journalists here.
"Ultimately, we think that India's role in the Asian-Pacific region stands to be one of the most important new developments over the course of the next decade, moving forward," Campbell said in response to a question.
The United States, he said, believes that India's role, its policy to look east, is now really starting to bear fruit.
"We want to work closely with Indian friends on a range of issues: strategy for how to work together in the East Asia Summit, now that the United States is a full member; working together in the ASEAN Regional Forum; and increasing dialogue and discussions on a range of mutual security issues in Southeast Asia and in Northeast Asia as well," he said.
Campbell said that in recent days the US had seen increase in Indian activities with a variety of states in Southeast Asia.
"We have seen in recent months a substantial increase in Indian activities with a variety of states in Southeast Asia; but also, most notably, with Japan. And we would seek to support that going forward," Campbell said.
"We have also increased our deliberations with India about a variety of developments in Southeast Asia, and including the Pacific, and we think that this is a very important ingredient," he said.
