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The outgoing <keyword id="67373" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="obama-administration">Obama Administration</keyword> has lashed out at China for blocking India from becoming a member of the <keyword id="106964" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nuclear-Suppliers-Group">Nuclear Suppliers Group</keyword> by describing the Communist giant as an "outlier" in its effort to bring New Delhi on board the elite grouping. 
 "Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China," <keyword id="184648" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nisha-Desai-Biswal">Nisha Desai Biswal</keyword>, assistant secretary of state for South and <keyword id="6360296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Asia">Central Asia</keyword>, told <keyword id="6367495" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PTI">PTI</keyword> in an interview. 
 The US statement comes a week ahead of the <keyword id="16284" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Obama">Obama</keyword> Administration passing on the baton to the <keyword id="3798493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="trump-administration">Trump Administration</keyword>. 
 Officials say it is because of the Chinese resistance that India could not become a member of <keyword id="44790" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="NSG">NSG</keyword>, where all decisions are taken on the basis of consensus. 
 "The (US) President (<keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword>) has been very clear and unequivocal that he believes that India has met the criteria for NSG and that the <keyword id="6356955" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-states">United States</keyword> supports India's entry that India is ready and India should be brought into the NSG," she said. 
 
"We worked very closely with India to support India's application into the NSG, but we also recognise that there continue to be some concerns, some reservations that some of the members of the NSG have expressed that need to be worked through," she said. 
 "We believe we have made substantial progress on that and as we hand the baton over to the next administration the path forward will be found for that. Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China. As we move through all the other elements of the NSG membership, I think, we're on a good path forward," <keyword id="776234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Biswal">Biswal</keyword> said. 
 
So what remains is to be able to have a very clear understanding on what is the basis of China's reservations and to try to work through those. So that will be something that would move on to the next administration to carry forward, she said in response to a question. 
 
"But this is something that the President himself has personally engaged on, the Secretary (of State), (National Security Advisor), Ambassador (Susan) Rice and down the line this has been an area of intense effort by this administration," Biswal said. 
 While India not becoming a NSG member is disappointing, Biswal said the Obama Administration is "very very gratified to see India's entry into the <keyword id="471445" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Missile-Technology-Control-Regime">Missile Technology Control Regime</keyword> (<keyword id="735897" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="MTCR">MTCR</keyword>)". 
 China is advocating a two-step "non-discriminatory" approach for admission of countries who have not signed nuclear-Non Proliferation Treaty (<keyword id="51229" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NPT">NPT</keyword>) in the NSG. 
 As per the new stand announced by <keyword id="1333" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Beijing">Beijing</keyword> in November, it first wants to find a solution that is applicable to the admission of all non-NPT members followed by discussions to admit specific non-NPT member. 
 
China's stand for non-discriminatory criteria is regarded significant as Pakistan, a close ally of Beijing too has applied for the NSG membership along with India.

Obama administration annoyed
with China for blocking India’s NSG membership

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to visit the US next month, but arrangements for that is not the only thing that top US Senators are worried about. As per reports, they are said to be worried more about India’s religious freedom, increasing attack on civil society and the situation of human rights in India. 
 "The situation does raise concern about religious freedom in India," said Colorado Senator <keyword id="975294" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cory-Gardner">Cory Gardner</keyword>. He was addressing a Congressional hearing on India convened by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 
 Virginia Senator <keyword id="1437734" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tim-Kaine">Tim Kaine</keyword> also expressed his concern on the recent cases when Indians showed religious intolerance, in protest of which artists returned their awards. He added that he would be looking forward to raising this issue with Modi in Washington DC. 
 Maryland Senator <keyword id="363277" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ben-Cardin">Ben Cardin</keyword> went ahead to describe the anti-conversion laws in some states as problematic, saying that such laws allow one to think whether there is any religious freedom in India or not. 
 <keyword id="184648" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nisha-Desai-Biswal">Nisha Desai Biswal</keyword>, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, has agreed with the senators, but added that the vibrant civil society of India is in itself the strongest voice on this. 
 
"There has been fairly vigorous and vociferous debate within India with respect to religious freedom and religious tolerance," Biswal said, adding that the voice of the Indian people who are debating over these issues is the strongest. 
 
"It is on the headlines of Indian newspapers that you are seeing a very active engagement on this issue. I think, these are issues, these are values that we hold very dear, that we bring into the conversation. But we try to do it in a constructive way possible to not take away the fact that these are issues that Indian must grapple with and gright for their own country, for their own democracy, for their own society," Biswal was quoted saying. 
 
"And that we in the United States have experiences to share, lessons to share, best practices to share. But we seek to do that in a way that respects and honours the fact that this democracy has a very vibrant and a very vocal civil society and media and political party system that is also trying to get this right," she added. 
 
To this, Cardin said that Indians have been inconsistent in their behaviour towards women and girls, which is worrisome. 
 
<a href="http://images.indianexpress.com/2015/09/modi-l5.jpg">Image source</a>

Intolerance strikes back; now US senators are worried about India’s religious freedom

By <keyword id="2583415" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lalit-K-Jha">Lalit K Jha</keyword> Washington, Nov 24 () India and the US face a common challenge in the form of an "increasingly assertive" <keyword id="1334" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> and New Delhi has to be a key partner in engaging with Beijing from a position of strength, believes long-time national security and <keyword id="10323735" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-policy-expert-antony-blinken">foreign policy expert Antony Blinken</keyword>, who could be President-elect Joe Biden's probable pick for the post of the Secretary of State. Blinken made these comments during a community outreach programme with the Indian-Americans organised by the Biden campaign on the occasion of India's Independence Day on August 15. He alleged that US President Donald Trump has helped China advance key strategic goals by weakening American alliances, leaving a vacuum in the world for China to fill, and abandoning American values and giving Beijing a green light to trample on democracy in Hong Kong. "We have a common challenge which is to deal with an increasingly assertive China across the board, including its aggression toward India at the Line of Actual Control, but also using its economic might to coerce others and ... to its advantage, ignoring international rules to advance its own interests, asserting unfounded maritime and territorial claims that threaten a freedom of navigation in some of the most important seas in the world," Blinken told the Indian-Americans during the virtual panel discussion on "US-India Relations and Indian Americans in Joe Biden Administration." India and China are engaged in a bitter stand-off on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh since May. Blinken, who then was the top foreign policy advisor to former vice president Biden, had also referred to the Chinese actions in Hong Kong as repression of the rights of its own people and democracy in the former British colony. "We have to sort of take a step back and start by putting ourselves in a position of strength from which to engage China so that the relationship moves forward more on our terms, not theirs," Blinken had said. "India has to be a key partner in that effort," Blinken then said. If Blinken is tapped by President-elect Biden and confirmed by <keyword id="9555680" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-senate-foreign-relations-committee">the Senate Foreign Relations Committee</keyword>, he would replace Mike Pompeo as the next Secretary of State. "Unfortunately, right now by virtually every key metric. China's strategic position is stronger and ours is weaker as a result of President Trump's failed leadership," he said. More importantly, he alleged that Trump had undermined US democracy. "In many ways, as we think about dealing with the challenges that China poses, it's almost less about their strength and more about some of our self-inflicted weaknesses," he said. "Put another way, this is really about us in the first instance, the competitiveness of our own economy and workers. The strength of our own democracy and political system, the vibrancy of our own alliances and partnerships. And of course, the assertion of our own values, all of which President Trump has done so much to undermine," Blinken said. Relations between Washington and Beijing have spiralled downward since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The two countries have also sparred over trade issues, a new national security law in Hong Kong, restrictions on American journalists, treatment of Uyghurs Muslims and security measures in Tibet. Responding to a question from Richard Verma, the former US Ambassador to India, who was moderating the panel discussion, Blinken said that Biden as President would be investing "in ourselves renewing our democracy, working with our close partners like India, asserting our values, and so engaging China from a position of strength." "During the Obama-Biden administration, we worked very hard to establish India as a key contributing member of the Indo-Pacific strategy. And that includes India's role in working with like minded partners to strengthen and uphold a rules-based order in the Indo Pacific, in which no country, including China can threaten its neighbours with impunity," Blinken said. "That role needs to extend even beyond the region as vast as it is to the world at large. In a Biden administration we would be an advocate for India to play a leading role in international institutions and that includes helping India get a seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council," he said. "We would work together to strengthen India's defence, and also add its capabilities as a counterterrorism partner," he added. A Biden administration will also have no tolerance for terrorism in South Asia, he said in response to another question. "On the question of terrorism, specifically, we have no tolerance for terrorism, in South Asia or anywhere else: cross border or otherwise," he said. Asserting that Biden is a champion of the US-India relations, Blinken had said that the former vice president had a vision for the US-India relations. Referring to a 2006 statement by Biden that by 2020, US and India should be closest friends, Blinken said that that has not happened yet, but Biden will make it a reality. Former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal was the other panelist at the event in August. LKJ RS AKJ RS

US calls on India to be a key partner in countering China's 'increasing assertiveness'

The US focus on India is evident as it invested more in India than China. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=US+investment+in+India&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">investments</a> increased dramatically from May 2014, when the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=prime+minister+narendra+modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Prime Minister Narendra </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=prime+minister+narendra+modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Modi</a>-led government. 
 
The friendship between Modi and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=obama&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">US President Barack Obama</a> also elevated both the leaders made strides in improving trade and investment ties. 
 
"The high-level engagements between our two countries since May of 2014 include six at the leader-level, including the Nuclear Security Summit this week, and we could well see more before the end of the administration," said US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal. 
 
"Much of the focus has been on the economic partnership, and while there continue to be challenges, we have seen a dramatic rise in US 
investment in India, which today outpaces <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=US+investment+in+China&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">US investment in China</a>,” added Biswal. 
 
Around 30 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=american+companies&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">American companies</a> have invested over $15 billion in the past year and a half, with over 50 US firms expected to ink more than $27 billion worth of deals over the next year, as per the US-India Business Council. 
 
According to India's official statistics, the cumulative FDI inflows from the US from April 2000 to September 2014 amounted to about $13.19 billion, accounting for nearly 6 per cent of the total FDI into India, making US the sixth largest source of foreign direct investment into India. 
The bilateral relationship also forayed into maritime security. 
 
"Nearly 90 per cent of global trade relies on maritime shipping and the Indian Ocean is the super-highway for much of this commerce. In the two decades from 1992 to 2012, the average number of ships in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea increased by more than 300 per cent. 
 
As the economies of Asia continue to rise, so to will the need for greater maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region," said 
Biswal. 
 
India's defence trade with the US has increased substantially from a mere $300 million just over a decade ago to close to $14 billion.

Here's the proof of Modi-Obama friendship; US has invested more in India than China since May 2014

After ending his five-day long US visit, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> thanked US for a highly “successful and satisfactory trip.” 
 
“Thank You America,” Prime Minister Modi said on conclusion of his last official engagement at an event organised by the US Indian Business Council (USIBC). “My visit has been very successful. From here I am going to airport directly,” Modi said. 
 India’s US Ambassador S Jaishankar and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, came to see off Modi. On Monday, US President <keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword> hosted a dinner for Modi, and on Tuesday, the two leaders met for about two hours. Vice-President <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> and Secretary of State John Kerry, too, hosted dinners for the Prime Minister, following which, he went to the Capitol Hill for a tea hosted in his honour by Joe Boehner, Speaker of the US House of Representatives. 
 
In total, he met more than 50 US lawmakers and three Governors, including South Carolina’s Nikki Haley.

You Searched For "Nisha Desai Biswal" and got 5 results

Obama administration annoyed with China for blocking India’s NSG membership

BI India Bureau

Intolerance strikes back; now US senators are worried about India’s religious freedom

BI India Bureau

US calls on India to be a key partner in countering China's 'increasing assertiveness'

PTI

Here's the proof of Modi-Obama friendship; US has invested more in India than China since May 2014

BI India Bureau

Modi Thanks US Before Leaving For India

BI India Bureau

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