India's not putting all eggs in one basket

LAST September, when the new Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, visited the United States, China declared itself unworried. "India will not be a major player in America's game of rebalancing the Asia-Pacific", the official People's Daily newspaper declared.

But in Washington, the Indian leader hit it off with US President Barack Obama. The two sides issued a joint statement in which India - much to China's discomfiture - for the first time, joined the US in expressing concern about rising tensions in the South China Sea, where China has maritime territorial disputes with several countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines.

Shortly after Mr Modi's return home, he issued a surprise invitation to Mr Obama to be the chief guest in the Republic Day celebrations in January. Such an invitation is considered a great honour and no American president had ever been invited. Mr Obama accepted with alacrity and thereby created another first: He became the first serving American president to visit India twice during his tenure, having visited first in 2010.