Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi's US visit marks the high point in the first round of diplomatic maneuvers by the BJP-led government.

Within a month, Modi has visited Japan and received Chinese President Xi Jinping, and is now visiting the US. His diplomatic approaches indicate India's international status as an emerging power and reveal New Delhi's determination to seek the most benefits globally and regionally.

The hospitality Modi enjoys in the US this time stands in clear contrast with the fact that he was denied a visa by the US government in 2005. However, his latest visit hasn't gone smoothly either. Just ahead of Modi's US trip, a New York court issued a summons against him for his alleged role in 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, casting a shadow over this visit.

Washington's differing attitudes before and after Modi was elected as prime minister are quite ludicrous. It should not be the way the world's No.1 power behaves diplomatically.

But indeed, it shows that the US' desire to hold itself out as the benchmark to human rights and morality in global governance. It also displays Washington's dissatisfaction with India in the past few years.

On issues such as US "pivot to Asia" strategy, global trade negotiations, climate change, bilateral trade and investment, as well as nuclear liabilities, the US has been unhappy with India, which has sought to maintain its strategic independence.

Meanwhile, India believes that the US didn't keep its promises or take India's interests into account over issues such as the US helping India raise status internationally, assisting it to gain legitimate status as a nuclear state and helping stabilize its financial markets.

The high expectations toward each other, contrasted with poor actual results, result in worsening bilateral ties, shown in the case of a female Indian diplomat who was arrested in the US for visa fraud last year.

Many strategists in India have been dissatisfied with the fact that India didn't get enough in return for getting closer to the US, and are demanding the Indian government to adjust its relationship with the US.

Modi is an astute politician and a businessman. Although there are various problems between the US and India, the US is still the dominant global economic and military power. The US still dominates the main global governing bodies such as the UN, the IMF and the World Bank. The US' technological power is also prominent, and the ability of its private companies to innovate is unsurpassed.

India has been pushing forward multilateralism, but in the process of becoming a major power, India must handle its relations with the US properly.

At the bilateral level, India has to gain political and economic support from the US to raise its national strength, while at the multilateral level, it has to make use of the conflicts between the US and China and between the US and Russia, to pursue its own interests. At least it cannot afford to take a position opposing the US.

The focus of Modi's US trip is his meeting with leaders from US industrial and commercial fields. This reflects Modi's policy focus on foreign investment and promoting economic development.

In terms of strategy and security, there is still a gap between India's objectives and those of the US. Though wary of China's rise, India does not want to be part of Washington's China containment policy. The US hopes to make defense cooperation a priority policy, while India is more willing to let US weapon manufacturers invest in India.

Modi probably doesn't hold high expectations for achieving wide consensus with the Obama administration. President Barack Obama has only two years left in office and is unlikely to push major foreign policy initiatives.

Modi will also meet former secretary of state and likely Democratic presidential candidate for 2016 Hillary Clinton, setting the tone for future US-India relations

Source of documents：Global Times