Obama's top security aide Donilon to visit India this week

US President Barack Obama’s top national security aide will visit China and India later this week, the White House said on Tuesday. White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon on Friday will meet Chinese leaders, including Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, and then travel to India. The White House gave no details of what the meetings would cover, saying only that they would “discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern.” [caption id=“attachment_111176” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”] [/caption] The Democratic-controlled US  Senate last week approved a bill to punish China for keeping its yuan currency artificially cheap against the dollar, which lawmakers say boosts Chinese exports to the United States at the cost of scarce U.S. jobs. Republican leaders, who control the House of Representatives, have warned the bill is “dangerous” because it could start a trade war with China. The U.S. Treasury Department last Friday said it would delay until later this year a ruling on whether China is manipulating its currency. Obama, a Democrat, has also been cool toward the yuan bill, saying the playing field between U.S. and Chinese competitors should be fair, but voicing worry the legislation may not be consistent with U.S. obligations to international trade rules. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has sought to emphasize his re-engagement with the region after years of perceived drift, during a period when Washington was preoccupied with fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Donilon’s visit underscores this administration’s commitment to growing U.S. leadership in Asia, and our work with emerging powers, such as China and India, as a core component of this commitment,” the White House said. Donilon’s visit to India comes at a time of increasing tension between the United States and India’s rival Pakistan. The United States sees Pakistan as a key, if difficult, ally essential to its attempts to root out militant forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan is often accused of playing a double game, battling its home-grown militants while using others as proxies in Afghanistan to limit the influence of old rival India, despite vows to help the United States. Reuters