India, US too cautious with 'Elephant in Room' China
Foreign Secretary of India Harsh V Shringla and diplomat Vani Rao with US Ambassador to India Ken Juster and US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun, during a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday
New Delhi : While referring to China as the "elephant in the room", visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said here on Monday that India and the United States have been "too cautious" towards China's reaction to the strategic ties between New Delhi and Washington.
Speaking at the Ananta Centre India-US Forum event, Biegun said: "Of course, as we advance in this direction, there is an elephant in the room: China. Last week, in advance of Secretary Pompeo's meeting with Minister Jaishankar and their Japanese and Australian counterparts in Tokyo, I read remarks by the esteemed, retired Indian diplomat Ashok Kantha.
I was particularly struck by a comment he made." "I could not agree more with Ambassador Kantha. We have been too cautious. Last week's important and successful Quad ministerial leaves the United States confident that perhaps, just maybe, we can say that we are present at the creation of those strategic linkages to which Ambassador Kantha refers," he added.