Playing "Cards"

Recently, via TIA Daily, I learned that the United States is "playing the India card" as an effort to offset China's growing influence and power in Asia.

Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who concluded a four-day visit to Washington yesterday, signed an agreement on defense ties and called for relaxation of U.S. restrictions on civilian nuclear technology transfers to India.

"Restrictions against India's nuclear program are anachronistic," Mr. Mukherjee told an audience at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Monday. "Our nuclear energy and security programs are separate."

It would be "in the interest of the U.S." to help India acquire nuclear technology for energy purposes, the minister said.

Mr. Mukherjee cited India's "energy deficit" as a primary hurdle to the country realizing its economic potential. Easing the restrictions will "impact favorably on our economic prospects over the next 2, 3 years," he said.

India's economy has been growing at an average annual rate of 6 percent for the past few years, fueled by a technology boom and robust foreign investment.

It's a good thing this is going on, for China doesn't exactly plan to go it alone against the United States. Glenn Reynolds points to an interesting blog entry on a Chinese-Russian partnership. This entry cites, among other things, this news item.

China and Russia reaffirmed their strategic alliance in summit talks and took a broad -- if veiled -- swipe at US global power by vowing resolute opposition to attempts by any state to "dominate international affairs."

President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao also attacked double standards in fighting terrorism and said human rights must take account of national traditions [italics added].

The themes were laid down in a nine-page document signed by the former Cold War enemies of the West on "The International Order in the 21st century," seen by some Russian media as a shot at Washington's growing influence in their regions, notably in Central Asia.

"National traditions," eh? Like totalitarianism?

Oh, and someone might want to tell these guys that China doesn't need its own nukes now.

-- CAV