Wednesday, January 19 2005 09:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Moving beyond the "false assumption" that it is impossible to have good relations with all of Asian powers, the US has built strongest ever alliances in Asia, which includes its cooperation with India across a range of economic and security issues, Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State-designate, said yesterday (Jan 18, 2005).

"The United States is cooperating with India, the world's largest democracy, across a range of economic and security issues," Rice said in her opening statement at her US Senate confirmation hearings. She said that the US no longer acts on the assumption that it is impossible to have good relations with all of Asia's powers and has built alliances that "have never been stronger", citing its wide-ranging cooperation with India, "the world's largest democracy", as well as its ties with Pakistan, "a state in transition towards a more moderate and democratic future".

The US was using its Asian alliances to help secure the peace and prosperity of the region, Rice told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

She said that the US was seeking a "candid, cooperative and constructive" relationship with China that builds on common interests but recognizes differences in values.

Rice hinted that as Secretary of State she would goad the US administration to work to strengthen ties with China despite criticism of Beijing's human rights record.

She said that the US efforts to "spread freedom" have borne "hopeful signs" - "Afghanistan and Iraq are struggling to put their dark and terrible pasts behind them and are choosing the path of progress".