As an Indo-Pacific nation, the U.S. has significant strategic and economic interests in the region.The U.S. west coast through the Bay of Bengal “represents more than half the global population and more than half of the global economy” observed Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Daniel Rosenblum. The United States is one of the leading trading partners for the region and is also a major donor and investor, both through private sector companies and as the largest individual shareholder in the World Bank and the co-largest shareholder along with Japan in the Asian Development Bank..The rapid economic growth during the last few decades has lifted millions out of poverty and allowed for the development of a thriving middle class. But despite this rapid growth, South Asia lags behind Southeast Asia in measures of intraregional trade and connectivi
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