Clinton urges India to take larger foreign policy role

In her only public speech in India this trip, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged India to take a larger role in the region.

Speaking in Chennai on Wednesday, Clinton said India should aim to incresae its influence in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim and Central Asia, the Associated Press reported.

Clinton added that the U.S. and India share values that make them natural collaborators in promoting security, democracy and development, the agency said.

The speech may act as a sort of transition statement, as Clinton heads to Indonesia for a discussion on Southeast Asian affairs tomorrow.  In Bali, she will meet various leaders of Southeast Asian countries at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum.

At the same time, it will likely fuel Chinese concerns about a U.S. "containment" or "encirclement" strategy– a bugbear of Sino-US relations that Washington has consistently denied is part of its foreign policy.