China has nothing to fear from stronger ties between India and the US after the two countries inked a logistics defence pact, the Obama administration has said.
“Broadly speaking, a deepening, stronger, more cooperative bilateral relationship with India is not something that anybody should fear or worry about,” State Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference on Tuesday.
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Kirby was responding to a question on China’s reaction the defence pact between India and the US that will enable their militaries to use each other’s assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.
“We both are democracies, we both have incredible opportunities and influence on the global stage, and a better relationship between the United States and India is not just good for our two countries, not just good for the region, it’s good for the world,” he said.
“There’s already a tremendous partnership between the United States and India, which cuts across quite a few sectors and it’s not just security and defence related. It’s economic, trade and information and technology sharing,” he said in response to a question.
“It is a pretty full and complete, comprehensive relationship and it’s one that we are committed to deepening and strengthening and I think that’s why the secretary of defence’s counterpart is here.
It’s why the secretary (of State) and the secretary of commerce, (Penny) Pritzker, are there in New Delhi,” he said.
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Kirby also said the US has a constant “conversation” with Pakistan on the threats posed by terror organisations like the Haqqani network, operating in the region. He said on the subject of Haqqani network that the US authorities were in contact with Pakistani John Kirby said that the Haqqani network and other terrorist outfits, which continued to exist in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, were a threat to the peace and stability of the entire region.
He further said that United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s statements, as well as the words of the Pentagon, were not in conflict with each other.
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In response to a question, John Kirby said that he was not aware regarding any recent contact established between John Kerry and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or army chief General Raheel Sharif.
Kirby said that to confirm whether any contact was established between the officials, he would have to check the record. Four commanders of the Haqqani network were killed on Tuesday via US airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Gardez area.
Earlier, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had refused to give the necessary Congressional certification to Pakistan and had blocked military aid worth $300 million to Pakistan for not taking sufficient action against the Haqqani network.
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