New York: United States and India are forging long-term Defence and security alliances aimed at containing China, which both see as an emerging regional and global power, Jane's Foreign Report has said quoting a "classified" US analysis.

"China represents the most significant threat to both countries' security in the future as an economic and military competitor," the 130-page analysis, "Indo-US military relationship: Expectations and perceptions", prepared for US Secretary of State for Defence Donald Rumsfeld, said.

The analysis quoted an unidentified US Admiral saying that a positive relationship with India was a "hedge" against future Chinese ambitions. "The USA and India both view China as a strategic threat and share an interest in understanding Chinese strategic intent, though we do not discuss this publicly," the Admiral said.

The report noted Indian and US views of China were "strikingly similar", predicated to keeping China out of the Indian Ocean region where, over the past decade, it has been making swift inroads.

US officials, it said, think a "strategic engagement" with India could become a "future investment" of growing value if Asia became hostile and dangerous to a continuing US military presence in the region.

If the US' relations with its traditional allies - Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia - become more fragile (and they are), India "should emerge as a vital component of US strategy," the report was quoted as saying.

PTI