India, US could gain from tsunami diplomacy

India, US could gain from tsunami diplomacy: "India, US could gain from tsunami diplomacy

Reuters
Posted online: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 1623 hours IST
Updated: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at 1626 hours IST

Tokyo, January 4: The huge aid effort for tsunami-hit areas of the Indian Ocean rim gives the United States, Japan, China and India a chance to improve their images as compassionate 'soft powers' in a region where they compete for influence.


All four have pledged large amounts of aid in cash or kind and are sending top officials to Thursday's tsunami aid summit in Jakarta.
But some analysts said Bush's failure to speak publicly about the disaster and an early pledge of only $15 million meant a lost opportunity to repair an American image tarnished globally by post-Sept. 11 policies and the Iraq war. "