New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Monday said both India and China, who are immediate neighbours, are rising at the same time economically and asserting their influence, thus making it imperative that they reach an “understanding or equilibrium”.
The remarks by Jaishankar came on a day when reports of fresh clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers on the southern bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh came to light.
“Like every other country in the world, we are very cognizant of the rise of China. We are an immediate neighbour of China, so obviously if you are a neighbour, you’re directly impacted by the rise of, what I say in my book, is a potential global power,” Jaishankar said while addressing an event organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
Jaishankar was referring to his new book ‘The India Way: Strategies For An Uncertain World’.
He added, “India has also been rising in this period, maybe not at the same degree or the same pace as China, but if you look at the last 30 years, clearly, India’s rise has also been one of the major global stories. So, if you have two countries, two societies of a billion people, each with a history and culture that they have, it’s very important that they reach some kind of understanding or equilibrium between them.”
In a subtle threat to China, the minister said, if China is asserting power and influence in areas or geographies “we have not seen before”, then India is also not going to sit back and watch.
“This is a practical world. If the country is going to get more powerful, you are going to see its influence in geographies, in areas we have not seen before, you are going to see activities and capabilities that you’ve not seen before. We will see that from China, and I dare say in some areas they will see it of us … This is modus vivendi between India and China and I actually say in my book this is extremely consequential for both countries and actually for the rest of the world,” he stressed.
On the relationship between China and Pakistan, Jaishankar said certain aspects of their bilateral ties have been of “concern” for India.
“This is something we obviously factor in in our relationship with both countries,” he said.
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Jaishankar bats for India-US bipartisan relationship
The minister said India, like other countries in the world, is also keenly watching the upcoming US Presidential elections scheduled to take place on 3 November.
However, Jaishankar said India is interested in enjoying a bipartisan relationship, which it has always been enjoying over both aisles of the US Congress.
“We Indians should be comforted by the fact that over many administrations, over both Democratic and Republican, our relationship has steadily grown… We look at the ramifications of your policies at different regions,” he said, adding that what the US is doing in Afghanistan is of “deep interest” to India.
The minister also made a strong pitch for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ or self-reliant India before the US businesses, who have criticised the concept as making India more protectionist.
On the issue of immigration policies of the US, he said India has always been a provider of high-quality and trusted talent, and made it a win-win situation.
The Donald Trump administration has suspended the H-1B and other work visas until December this year in the wake of the upcoming elections.
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