In a meeting with South Asian journalists at which he spoke of the ongoing talks between the United States and the sub-continental neighbours and the reasons for the deferment of President Bill Clinton's visit to the region, US Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth accepted that China is an important part of India's strategic concerns. India's nuclear doctrine, centering on the concept of minimum credible deterrence, may need to take into account its neighbour to the North-East, he added.

Inderfurth said the US wanted both India and Pakistan to structure a restraint regime in line with their statements on minimum nuclear deterrence. The size of such a regime will have to be a sovereign decision, but Washington was hoping thetwo countries would better define it. ``And indeed for India, this is a three-way street. We understand India's concerns go beyond Pakistan,'' Inderfurth said in this context.

Although Washington has gradually begun to move away from its initial position soon after the tests that China did not constitute any threat to India or India's perception in this regard was overblown, this is the first time administration officials have publicly and explicitly accepted New Delhi's argument on this score.

Officials later clarified this still did not justify India's nuclear tests, but said Washington was cognisant of India's legitimate security concerns.

Asked if this meant Washington would draw China into a security dialogue in the region, Inderfurth said the US was encouraging Beijing to speak directly to India and address New Delhi's security concerns.

Inderfurth also noted that India had said it had no intention of matching China's nuclear weapons program. But countries needed to have an idea what othercountries are doing in deciding their defence posture, he said, adding that everyone recognised that security environment could change.

The Assistant Secretary, who is the pointman for South Asia and a key member of the US negotiating team which is currently holding talks with India and Pakistan, also returned to the theme of having different ties with New Delhi and Islamabad, an idea Washington was warming up to before the nuclear tests temporarily levelled the diplomatic field.

``We have a vision of a relationship with both countries. They are not identical,'' he said. In terms of India, the US was ``desirous of pursuing'' a science and technology relationship and cooperation in the field of energy. The US wanted to work with India as a country that has a global frame of reference in meeting challenges like environmental hazards and climate change.

Inderfurth did not define the US vision of ties with Pakistan, but said Washington's interest in South Asia would return to more fundamental issues likedevelopment once the security and nuclear hump was crossed.

Explaining the deferment of President Clinton's visit to the region, Inderfurth said although the US was pleased with the progress made in some areas and the announcement by the Prime Ministers of the two countries that they would adhere to the CTBT, more progress was needed to make the visit meaningful.

The two countries had also removed obstacles to negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty and were moving to install an export-control regime. But much more needed to be done, he said.

For one, the actual signing of the CTBT had to happen. Washington was also looking for a moratorium on production of fissile material pending the actual finalisation of a formal treaty which could take years of negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. ``The issues we are discussing are complex and fundamental. We believe more time is needed to resolve these to our mutual satisfaction,'' he said.

An identical formulation was voiced at theWhite House by presidential spokesman Mike McCurry earlier in the day. Both Inderfurth and McCurry said the President would not be able to fully lift sanctions until more progress is made. ``The President is still eager to visit the region. We all want the visit to take place in a more positive atmosphere... when more latitude exists to use the visit to strengthen ties,'' Inderfurth said.

The Assistant Secretary said Washington intended to maintain momentum in the ongoing talks and there will not be any interruption or slackening. Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott had said he was in it for the ``long haul''. Talbott was meeting with representatives of the G-5 and P-8 countries to brief them about their collective concerns and share views on the situation in South Asia.