By IANS,
Islamabad : US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s remarks show that America has made New Delhi its “policeman” in Afghanistan and the Asia-Pacific region, a Pakistani daily said Friday.
“Clinton’s remarks in Chennai make clear that the US has decided to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan and at the same time make India its ‘thanedaar’ (police inspector) not only for Afghanistan but the entire Asia-Pacific region,” said an editorial in the Urdu daily Jang.
It is to help India play that role is why the US helped it become an “atomic power”, the Jang said. This was also why the US was assuring India all help – economic and technical.
The daily the aim was to prop up India to contain China.
Noting it was no secret that the US intended to ring China to prevent it from emerging as a major power, it said helping India to grow was part of the US stratagey.
“Clinton’s remarks that the US expects India to don the mantle of leadership in Asia-Pacific underscore Washington’s expectations or plans that India will play a more assertive role in regional organisations like ASEAN to emerge as an economic counterweight to China,” it said.
In Chennai Wednesday, Clinton, on a short trip to India, told New Delhi that it was “time to lead”.
“Much of the history of the 20th century will be written in Asia which, in turn, will be influenced by the partnership between the US and India and its relationship with neighbours,” she said.