US President Barack Obama meets with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in London. Photograph: Jason Reed / ReutersIndian Officials Wary After Perceived White House Slights -- Washington Post
Concerns arise days before Prime Minister Singh makes first state visit.
Days before India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to be welcomed in the White House for his first state visit with President Obama, two perceived missteps by the Obama administration have concerned Indian officials that New Delhi suddenly has been relegated to the second tier of U.S.-Asian relations.
Singh arrives Sunday on a four-day trip that is meant to solidify a relationship transformed under the Bush administration by a deal on nuclear technology, increasing trade and investment, immigration, educational exchanges and unprecedented security cooperation.
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My comment: The Indian Government (like everyone else) noticed how President Obama abandoned treaty agreements (on missile defense) with Eastern European nations to favor better relations with Russia .... they are now voicing concerns that India is now being put on the side by the Americans for better relations with China.
The Indians are not going to buy into such a relationship, and are obviously leaking their concerns to the Washington Post.
India has a very serious border dispute with China, and its conflict with neighboring Pakistan has been ongoing for decades. For the U.S. to be even perceived as playing favorites in this part of the world will only poison our relationship with the party that feels it is being disparaged. Will the U.S. administration be careful its language with one of our most important allies in the region .... if precedent is anything to go on .... my prediction is that the U.S. will be soon alienating another ally.