US seeks ties with India in face of growing China

面對中國不斷增長美國正深化與印度的關係

“We’ll never have the same relationship with China, a non-democratic society, that we can have with a major democracy,” said the US Secretary of State.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) –?Prior to his visit to India next week, the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson?said in an address on Wednesday that the U.S. would expand ties with India while at the same time, he also criticized China for?sometimes undermining the international orders and conventions.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, Tillerson emphasized the “partnership” between the U.S. and India, which he referred to as “the largest democracy” in the world.

In the meantime, Tillerson said, “We’ll never have the same relationship with China, a non-democratic society, that we can have with a major democracy.”

“China’s provocative actions in the South China Sea directly challenge the international law and norms that the United States and India both stand for,” said Tillerson, adding "We will not shrink from China’s challenges to the rules-based order and where China subverts the sovereignty of neighboring countries and disadvantages the U.S. and our friends.”

The remarks were made after China began its week-long 19th Communist Congress on October 18, the most important conference for the country in which new leaders and future plans for the country will be decided.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a three-hour opening address?that China has become a great power in the world. ?

Guardian reported that while Xi claimed China did not pose any threat to other countries, he hailed the island building campaign in the South China Sea as his?key achievement in the first mandate.

Washington Post reported that in response, the Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement that China “will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion, never pursue development at the expense of others’ interests”

The embassy also said the country ”hopes for a ‘healthy and sound’ China-U.S. relationship,” reported Washington Post.

U.S. President Donald Trump is due to embark on an Asia trip in November, during which he will?visit China.