Frank Pallone: “in the latter part of March, President Clinton is scheduled to travel to India. His trip will mark the first visit by an…”

“in the latter part of March, President Clinton is scheduled to travel to India. His trip will mark the first visit by an American President to the world's largest democracy since 1978. I would say that a visit to India by the leader of the free world is long overdue, and I want to express my appreciation to the President for making this historic trip. Mr. Speaker, my purpose this evening is to suggest that the President devote significant time during the trip to developing closer bilateral cooperation on defense and security issues to respond to common threats and challenges. This is an area where the need for a U.S.-India partnership is growing increasingly urgent. For years we have seen how many of the same forces of international terrorism that threaten American interests also pose a direct threat to India's security. Another common threat faced by India and the United States emanates from the People's Republic of China. In the last week, we have seen China threatening Taiwan with military force, belying Beijing's claims to favor peaceful reunification.”