by EISHIRO TAKEISHI
In November, U.S. President Barack Obama bashfully joined a circle of Indian dancers with his wife Michelle when they visited a school in Mumbai. During his visit in December, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao demonstrated his calligraphy skills in front of local schoolchildren. Also in December, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev posed in front of cameras with “Bollywood” stars in Mumbai.
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Behind these visits is the huge Indian market, which continues to show remarkable growth. India is said to be what China was 20 years before.
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Based on the belief that the goal is by no means unrealistic, with the exception of China, the four U.N. Security Council permanent members are desperately trying to take advantage of the situation to benefit their own national interests. One area that is attracting their attention is India’s growing need for nuclear power generation. According to observers, India needs an additional 20 nuclear power reactors to meet its growing energy demand for the time being. In addition, the leaders are eager to have a stake in India’s procurement of military equipment.
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Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who holds sway in Indian diplomacy, pointed out that the more India develops stronger ties with major powers other than China, the more China softens its stance. The more diplomatic cards a country holds, the better, he said.
Asahi Shimbun for more