Extending a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to the US, President Barack Obama has expressed keenness to work closely with him to make the bilateral relations a "defining partnership" in the 21st century.
Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal spoke to Rediff readers about the impact of Obama's re-election on India's ties with the US and Indo-China relations. Here's the full transcript of the chat:
Pakistan is expected to reopen the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation supply line anytime now, as the United States has agreed to tender an apology in 'soft words' over the Salala checkpost incident, reports Tahir Ali
'Washington's silence about India's Article 370 move tells us all we need to know: It doesn't want to rock the boat of a relationship that has navigated some choppy waters but remains a highly important one.'
China on Saturday summoned the United States Charge d'Affaires in Beijing and lodged a strong diplomatic protest over the meeting between President Barack Obama and Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.
His remarks came a day after the Pakistan Army admitted that seven of its soldiers were killed in firing by Indian troops across the Line of Control in Bhimber sector.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her American counterpart Mike Pompeo have agreed to reschedule the postponed '2+2 dialogue'.
Amid tensions over the South China Sea, China on Wednesday warned the United States not to take "dangerous actions" that threatens its sovereignty and security interest, days after an American destroyer patrolled the disputed area.
While the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on his 9th India-Asean summit said that the India-China relationship was a 'complex' one, they also emphasised that India-US relations were in good shape, reports Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who is a part of his media delegation accompanying the prime minister to Bali.
Breaking decades of US diplomatic policy, President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and discussed various issues, a move which could infuriate China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday asked the United States to "play a constructive role" in maintaining peace and stability in the disputed South China Sea, asserting that Beijing will "unswervingly" safeguard its sovereignty over the area.
US intelligence agencies had been tracking the hostages and shared their location when they were shifted to Pakistan.
Aziz said that Pakistan-US relations had come to a standstill in 2011 because of incidents of WikiLeaks, Raymond Davis, Abbottabad operation, Datta Khel and Salala.
The dent on India-US relations caused by L'affaire Devyani will not remain for long as those will be determined by strategic and economic considerations, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
An alliance of minds, which is essential to elevate the strategic partnership to a higher level, appears hard to accomplish. A new sense of realism, rather than undue optimism, will prevail in India-US relations in the future, says TP Sreenivasan
'India-US relations seem to have soured when the US expected India to not only balance China in the Asia-Pacific, but also make concessions to Pakistan as a price for US technological help,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a telephonic conversation with United States President Barack Obama on Monday evening.
Pakistan's deteriorating security situation, its connection with Islamist militancy, and the implications for the United States and India relations came under focus during a lecture by American Foreign Policy Council Fellow Jeff M Smith, at the Indian consulate in New York recently.
India-US relations appear to be increasingly privatised, with little strategic content in it. The hopes raised during the Bush era and the momentum indicated during the Obama visit seem to fade away, at least for the time being.
Pakistan will have to decide on the issue of conducting a joint operation with the United States against Taliban and the Al Qaeda leaders like Mullah Omar and Ayman al-Zawahiri if they are found in the country, AmericanAmbassador Cameron Munter said on Monday.
about the recent remarks by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg assigning a major role for China in South Asia and saying that India has a role to play in East Asia, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said that in today's globalised world, this was no big deal
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday vowed to work with the United States for healthy and stable development of bilateral ties, calling cooperation the "correct" choice for both the countries.
"President Trump believes that Kim has an unprecedented opportunity to change the trajectory of our relationship and bring peace and prosperity to his country," Pompeo said.
'The expectations on the two sides are so divergent that disappointment is inevitable for both.'
The United States should 'publicly expose' Pakistan whenever it fails to prevent infiltration across the Line of Control with India, shut down jihadi training operations and make the Inter Services Intelligence and Pakistani military pledge that 'they will not abet violent actors' in Kashmir, a US think-tank has said.
Chinese observers believe the Sino-US relationship will be impacted by issues in North Korea, Japan, India, Ukraine and Iran and that conflicts with these 'third parties' will without exception ultimately become conflicts between China and the US, points out former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade.
The India and US delegation level talks finalised many issues taking the partnership forward in the 21st century, Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said while talking to rediff.com.
While Obama's visit to India has a strategic and economic dimension, what the visit portends for the US's relations with China is a big question, says strategic expert B Raman.
'Perhaps it isn't protocol at all, but power before which we abase ourselves,' says Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
Narendra Modi's positive engagement with Barack Obama has well and truly washed away the doubts and slights of the past.
Ashley J Tellis, a leading authority on Indo-US relations, tells Archis Mohan in an emailed interview that it is time Washington and New Delhi agreed on the contours of their 'strategic partnership', and that India's elite could learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in how he has put India's interests first and his own sentiments about the Americans second.
The groups, who direct such attacks against India, have received the patronage of powerful forces and institutions within that country. It is vital that this support must stop forthwith. Any viable process of normalization of our relations with Pakistan is essentially dependent on this requirement since it is unrealistic to think otherwise.
The recent hike in H-1B and L1 visa fee to raise $600 million for securing the American border with Mexico is "a bad policy" for the US and could very well "sour" its ties with India whose IT sector is affected by the move, two noted economic experts have said.
'India should strive to establish itself as a pole in a multi-polar world instead of being a satellite to a sinking America.'
India has to leverage its "swing" status, engage with all and align with none, observes Shyam Saran
United States President Barack Obama has nominated Nisha Desai Biswal as the new assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs.
In the brief telephonic conversation, Obama condoled the loss of lives, the Prime Minister's Office said, adding, "The two leaders took the opportunity to review developments in Indo-US relations."
China has warned US President Barack Obama against meeting Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, saying this would "seriously undermine" Sino-US ties as a row escalated between the two major powers.
The American efforts to make India a security partner have enhanced India's importance to Chinese decision makers and new recognition of India's importance and achievements are reflected in a much more positive reporting about India in the State-controlled media, says Walter Andersen.
The Indo-US relations on Monday came up for review as an American Congressional delegation led by Senator Judd Gregg met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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