<p>After Chuck Hagel's controversial remarks on India's role in Afghanistan, a top US official has strongly backed New Delhi's investment programme, saying it has a holistic view of the war-torn region.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake yesterday at a Congressional hearing said," India has taken a very kind of holistic view of what needs to be done there, and they have a USD 2 billion assistance program."<br /><br />"They've hosted an investment conference. They have been a champion of this regional integration vision," Blake said.<br /><br />He was responding to questions from lawmakers on the contributions of India and China in Afghanistan. He testified before a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs on "Islamist Militant Threats to Eurasia" chaired by the Republican Congressman from California Dana Rohrabacher.<br /><br />"I think China has taken a far less holistic view and a much more self-serving view, frankly," Blake said.<br /><br />Though China has an assistance program for Afghanistan, it's relatively modest compared to the Indians, he said.<br /><br />"I'd say it's about one-tenth of what the Indians provide. So again, a lot of humanitarian assistance and infrastructure assistance like that would be very welcome from the Chinese and we'd like to see them do more," Blake said.<br /><br />"The Chinese have undertaken some investment. I wouldn't want to exaggerate it. I mean, it has not undertaken as much as the Iranians have, for example. In fact we'd like to see them do more in terms of investing certainly in a lot of the regional infrastructure that will be needed, because that would certainly be very welcome, and they've done a lot of that in Central Asia," he said.<br /><br />"But they do not take a position on things like rule of law and things like that. That is not part of their foreign policy," Blake said.<br /><br />Hagel, the new US Defence Secretary, in a video remarks in 2011 had claimed, "India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border".</p>
<p>After Chuck Hagel's controversial remarks on India's role in Afghanistan, a top US official has strongly backed New Delhi's investment programme, saying it has a holistic view of the war-torn region.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake yesterday at a Congressional hearing said," India has taken a very kind of holistic view of what needs to be done there, and they have a USD 2 billion assistance program."<br /><br />"They've hosted an investment conference. They have been a champion of this regional integration vision," Blake said.<br /><br />He was responding to questions from lawmakers on the contributions of India and China in Afghanistan. He testified before a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs on "Islamist Militant Threats to Eurasia" chaired by the Republican Congressman from California Dana Rohrabacher.<br /><br />"I think China has taken a far less holistic view and a much more self-serving view, frankly," Blake said.<br /><br />Though China has an assistance program for Afghanistan, it's relatively modest compared to the Indians, he said.<br /><br />"I'd say it's about one-tenth of what the Indians provide. So again, a lot of humanitarian assistance and infrastructure assistance like that would be very welcome from the Chinese and we'd like to see them do more," Blake said.<br /><br />"The Chinese have undertaken some investment. I wouldn't want to exaggerate it. I mean, it has not undertaken as much as the Iranians have, for example. In fact we'd like to see them do more in terms of investing certainly in a lot of the regional infrastructure that will be needed, because that would certainly be very welcome, and they've done a lot of that in Central Asia," he said.<br /><br />"But they do not take a position on things like rule of law and things like that. That is not part of their foreign policy," Blake said.<br /><br />Hagel, the new US Defence Secretary, in a video remarks in 2011 had claimed, "India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border".</p>