Speaking Saturday before New Delhi businessmen and academics at the Observer Research Foundation, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said India didn't have to choose between the United States and China. He also said the United States and India had common interests and needed to work together to coordinate defense responses while working through bureaucratic issues and red tape.

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Hagel had been to Delhi for three days including two days of discussion with Indian leaders. He supported Indian efforts to raise its global profile. US officials were working to include India as a permanent member of the newly reconstituted UN Security Council along with beefing up India's place as a member of the G20 economic group, he said.

Hagel said US and Indian security interests were similar and suggested a trilateral partnership also including Japan in Asian security efforts. This would build on the Malabar defenses exercises the three nations conducted together in the Pacific region off Japan's coast near areas disputed between several Asian nations, including China.

While no specific agreements were signed, Hagel's tour was designed to foster improved coordination between the two nations along with technology exchanges and defense planning aimed at results as opposed to rhetoric. Hagel asked for additional cooperation in ongoing joint projects designed to build improved anti-tank missile technology and defense force modernization. 

Indian officials reportedly expressed interest in aspects of the relationship geared towards co-developing weapons systems rather than purchasing American-made systems. Hagel said new plans called for technology and production transfer to India from America, so the Indians could accomplish their defense goals.

While noting increased issues between China, India and the U.S., Hagel said all three parties had to work together to achieve tangible, peaceful solutions. Avoiding rivalry traps was important, Hagel said.

Hagel's trip was interrupted on several occasions by world events. He couldn't attend an official dinner on Friday due to the need to work on humanitarian and defense initiatives surrounding the advance of the Islamic State on Kurdish areas of Northern Iraq.

Tagspolitics, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Military, US-India relations, US-China relations, Defense, Prime Minister Narendra Modi