Abstract
A series of atomic bomb tests by India in May 1998 was the biggest regional incident that had impact on world affairs in the past five decades. In South Asia there occurred major happenings such as the three Indo-Pakistani wars until 70's and Indo-China border conflict in 1962. But these happenings did not have direct bearings on the international situation at each occasion. Because of their regional characters, US and the Soviet Union did not have any hand in them.
But the tests have been a major international shock. The US was affected severely, as shown by Clinton's remarks that it was the worst event in the 20-century. For the international nuclear control regime which has been promoted by US as the sole super-power in the post cold war period has been challenged and shaken by India, the regional power of South Asia.
The basic objective of this paper is to examine Indo-US relations in the post cold war period. In order to understand the relations between the two countries, it is necessary to check three levels, viz., level of perceptions towards the international system as understood by India and US, level of security and nuclear policy pursued by the two, and level of direct negotiations between the two countries.
The paper will analyze the three levels by turn. Firstly, there is the big divergence between India's “multi-polar system” orientation and US's “unipolar system” preoccupation. Secondly, in the level of policy matters, India has neglected the development of security policy, whereas US has pursued the monopolized nuclear control regime. Thirdly, they have negotiated the main issue, viz., the “credible minimum deterrence, ” from their respective angles. In conclusion, the paper predicts that, though in the post cold war period India and US has dramatically improved their economic relations, the perception gap will persist for a long time, which may jeopardize real improvement in the field of security and political relations.
