The U.S.-Indian military talks began last month, despite the sanctions, when Jaswant Singh, who serves as both foreign and defense minister, met in Washington with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. Mr. Singh also met President Bush in an unexpected White House encounter April 6, at the height of the crisis over the detention on China s Hainan island of a 24-member American air crew. Mr. Singh was meeting with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice when Mr. Bush dropped in and then invited Mr. Singh to the Oval Office for a 45-minute chat, said the ambassador. He spoke fluently and did not ask aides to help him out. The United States is upset over China s detention of the 24 fliers for 11 days last month and its refusal to return a surveillance plane, which landed after a collision with a Chinese jet.
Tension is also high over Taiwan, human rights, Tibet and Chinese detention of U.S. academics.
The Indian ambassador refused to say that growing cooperation with the United States was aimed at deterring China. A U.S. official, who confirmed the U.S. intention to draw closer to India and start military cooperation, also refused to say it was in any way related to U.S. squabbles with China. If you go around Asia and try to drum up an alliance against China it would defeat our goals. We want China to integrate into the world economy and become a peaceful player. The Bush administration has begun a review of foreign policy, and its policies toward South Asia are being discussed at present, U.S. officials said.