Beijing: The enactment of the legislation on the Indo-US nuclear deal by President George W. Bush is a "major policy shift" for the United States, China's official media commented today.

"It was widely believed that the US-India nuclear deal represents a major policy shift for the United States," state-run Xinhua news agency commented in a report.

"Strategic, diplomatic and economic ties between India and the United States have blossomed after New Delhi was quick to back Washington's war on terror after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001," it noted as the media here have generally commented that by inking the nuclear deal, Washington was trying to use New Delhi as a counter-balance against China.

The report also took note of US President George W Bush's comments while signing the legislation into law that the Indo-US civilian nuclear pact as a "big deal ... Between the world's two largest democracies."

The report also mentioned that the US Congress gave final approval to the legislation authorising civilian nuclear trade with India, which "built its atomic bombs outside the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty."
Source : PTI