U.S. Welcomes India's Emergence as a Force in Asia

Washington: Ahead of his first trip to India next week, Vice President Joe Biden has said that as the U.S. rebalances its Asia policy, it welcomes India's emergence as a force for security and growth in the region.

"One of the reasons why President (Barack) Obama has called our relationship with India a defining partnership of the century ahead is that India is increasingly looking East as a force for security and growth in Southeast Asia and beyond," he said.

"To us that's welcome news," said Biden speaking on the "U.S. policy toward the Asia-Pacific region and India's growing role in the region," at George Washington University under the auspices of the Centre for American Progress, a Washington think tank.

"We encourage it. We welcome India's engagement with the region and we welcome its efforts to develop new trade and transportation by land and by sea," he said expounding on the reasons for the U.S. to engage in the Asia-Pacific region.

Biden said the U.S. wants to help create 21st century "rules of the road" to help Asian nations integrate, achieve security and prosper.

"Many nations have experienced rapid economic transformation that has fundamentally created a new dynamic, rising ambitions and rising tensions," Biden said. "But the rules and norms that can predict to deal with both those changes, the order needed, remained incomplete."

"Now we want to hasten the emergence of an Asian-Pacific order that delivers security and prosperity for all the nations involved"

"The lifeblood of the region is obviously economic development, but growth has slowed in India, China, in many places in Asia, and each country faces distinct and different challenge," he noted.

"To spark new growth, there has to be fewer barriers at and behind our borders, protections for intellectual property to reward innovation, new commitments to make sure everyone plays by the same rules because that's what attracts investment and jobs."

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