US defence secretary Leon Panetta arrived India on a two-day visit on 5 June 2012. The visit was aimed at strengthening bilateral strategic and defence cooperation between the two nations. US specified the Indian role in the world politics and its significance as a link between East and West Asia and how the United States views India as a net provider of security from the Indian Ocean to Afghanistan and beyond.
Panetta visited India as the part of his week-long visit to Asia to formulate a new US defence strategy to allies and partners in the region. The strategy, which was released in January 2012, calls for a shift in US strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific.
India over the past one decade has emerged as the key US ally in the Asian continent. As the time for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is nearing, America seeks to establish a stronger strategic and defence tie with India, so that it could keep a tab on the region’s geopolitics even after the withdrawal of its troops.
The growing Chinese hegemony in the region has also prompted the two distant nations to come together in order to tackle any possible threat from the communist China. Many analysts believe that the Panetta’s visit is the part of Pentagon’s policy to team up with India against the growing Chinese assertiveness in the global politics. But many foreign policy experts are of the contrary view as they felt that India has always opted for a policy of non-alignment and this time too India will not compromise with the fundamental principles of its foreign policy.
There may be some starkly differing voices among the experts over the India’s future course, but one thing that remains very clear that India's interest lie with both China and US and given the present circumstances in the world politics it can not risk its relationship with any of them. Hence, It will be wise for India to pursue a neutral and non-confrontational outlook with respect to both the super powers.
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