Welcome to the Nuclear Club

A July 18 meeting between President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may signal a breakthrough in relations between the two countries, as the US officially recognized India as "a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology." The symbolic value of this statement was considerable: As The Economist explains, Bush is "offering to help India, which became a nuclear power as a rogue, become a responsible bomb-wielding citizen." Though the response in Pakistan will doubtless be less glowing, Indian officials are celebrating their "dehyphenation" – the separation of the India-Pakistan dispute from American foreign policy. This policy change is due in part to India's emergence as an economic power and in part to the concurrent rise of China. Regardless of cause, cooperation between India and the United States is only likely to increase in the future. – YaleGlobal

Welcome to the Nuclear Club

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Click here for the original article on The Economist's website.

© 2005 The Economist Newspaper and The Economist Group