"I see it growing, interactions between our two countries including a burgeoning Indian-American population here in the United States. So just like China, I see... a huge, growing middle class in that country, a very strong science and technology base."

Negroponte did not think India will be in a military conflict with China.

"Right. No, I don't think conflict of that kind.

"...I mean, competition, perhaps, yes. But both of them I think more and more are going to focus on developing their own internal economies, their own internal markets. At the moment, China's in a very much of an export mode.

"But sooner or later their own people are going to be demanding increases in their standard of living. And so I think that there's going to be room for everybody," he said.