US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta held talks Wednesday with his Indian counterpart focused on NATO's planned exit from Afghanistan and America's strategic "rebalance" towards Asia, officials said.

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (2nd left) speaks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a meeting in New Delhi. , Photo: AFP

Panetta's two-day visit to New Delhi is part of a tour of the region that reflects Washington's shift to the Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China, with US officials portraying India as an anchor for the new approach.

In his talks with Defense Minister A.K. Antony, Panetta discussed NATO's planned withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 as well expanding arms sales and joint military training between the two countries.

"Secretary Panetta and Minister Antony... discussed regional issues, including the transition process in Afghanistan and committed to a shared goal of a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.

Indian officials are worried the departure of most of the US-led force could leave a dangerous vacuum in Afghanistan, and question if the Kabul government and its fledgling army will be able to fend off Taliban insurgents.

US officials said Panetta, who met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday, was encouraging India to play a more active role in Afghanistan despite Pakistan's deep suspicion of its arch-foe's motives in the country.

New Delhi and Washington share a common threat posed by Islamist militants, and the killing of Al-Qaeda number two Abu Yahya al-Libi, confirmed by the White House on Tuesday, was sure to have come up in the talks, officials said.

Before he took over at the Pentagon last year, Panetta served as CIA director and oversaw an expansion of the drone bombing campaign against Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, as well as the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Earlier on his nine-day tour through Asia, Panetta unveiled plans to shift the majority of the US naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020, a symbolic step meant to signal US determination to preserve its influence in the face of a rising China.

Beijing said Monday the US naval plan was "untimely" and called on Washington to respect its interests in the region.

The tilt towards Asia is designed mainly as a way to check China's role, particularly in the contested South China Sea, reinforcing US diplomacy in support of smaller nations locked in territorial disputes with Beijing.

The US administration views India as a counterweight to China, though in public statements senior officials insist the new strategy is not meant as a challenge to Beijing.

Panetta's visit follows India's successful test launch in April of a new missile capable of delivering a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China, marking a major advance in its military capabilities.

India views the rocket as a boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows -- albeit slightly -- the huge gap with China's missile arsenal.

India is investing in military hardware to modernize its armed forces, and the United States has become one of its major arms suppliers, with $8.5 billion in sales over the past 11 years, according to the Pentagon.

After Wednesday's talks, "both sides agreed that increased defense trade and collaboration will continue to further the relationship," Panetta's spokesman said.

The US defense chief's trip coincides with two weapons deals that are close to being wrapped up.

India has agreed to buy 145 howitzer guns from the US unit of British arms group BAE Systems in a deal worth $560 million. And India is close to clinching a $1.4 billion agreement to purchase 22 Apache attack helicopters manufactured by Boeing, US officials said.

Source: AFP