India critical to US sucess

A Republican presidential hopeful
has suggested that the US
negotiate a bilateral free trade
agreement with India to
strengthen its relationship with
a friend critical to America's
success in the 21st century.
Jon Huntsman, former governor
of Utah, who resigned as US
ambassador to China last April
hoping to challenge President
Barack Obama in 2012,
Thursday proposed talks with
India as part of his jobs plan
and fix the US economy.
As 95 percent of the world's
customers live outside US
borders, and with the US party
to only 17 of more than 300
trade agreements worldwide,
he said 'opening more markets
for American businesses should
be a commonsense tool to spark
immediate growth.'
Huntsman said he would make
three trade agreements with
South Korea, Colombia and
Panama a top priority.
'Washington must also
immediately start discussions
with India to end in a bilateral
free trade agreement
strengthening our relationship
with a friend who will prove to
be critical to America's success
in the 21st century,' he said.
Suggesting that Obama's
economic record has been
marked by failure, he said: 'As
the Obama Administration has
dithered, other nations are
making the choices necessary to
compete in the 21st Century.'
But much like Obama citing
competition from emerging
economies like India, China and
Brazil, Huntsman said: 'In
Brasilia and Beijing, New Delhi
and Seoul, our competitors are
making the hard choices that
will help assure their children a
better life,'.
'If we fail to do the same, we
are robbing our children of an
inheritance every previous
American generation has had.'
Huntsman said he was running
for President 'because I'm
prepared to lead the American
people to that better and
brighter future.'