Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday reiterated that normalcy in the India and China ties can be restored only if there is peace and tranquility in the border areas.
“Peace and tranquility in the border areas clearly remains the basis for normal relations,” Jaishankar said while addressing a conference organised by the Center for Contemporary China Studies (CCCS). He further added that the tensions in the border areas were “mischievously conflated” with solving the question related to the boundary from time to time.
“ From time to time, this has been mischievously conflated with the sorting out of the boundary question,” Jaishankar said.
Peace and tranquility in the border areas clearly remains the basis for normal relations. From time to time, this has been mischievously conflated with the sorting out of the boundary question.— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 18, 2022
Referring to the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020 between both armies, he said the tensions that exist between both nations will not be beneficial for both countries. He said the past few years were ‘a period of serious challenge’ for the relationship between both nations as well as for the continent as a whole.
Ties have been strained between both nations after the Chinese military, the People’s Liberation Army, committed transgressions in multiple areas including the Finger Area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The bilateral ties took a turn for the worse after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.
“The continuation of the current impasse will not benefit either India or China. New normals of posture will inevitably lead to new normals of responses,” he said.
The last few years have been a period of serious challenge, both for the relationship and for the prospects of the continent. The continuation of the current impasse will not benefit either India or China. New normals of posture will inevitably lead to new normals of responses.— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 18, 2022
He also said that the days of Indian policy exhibiting ‘a remarkable degree of self-restraint that led to the expectation that others can have a veto over its choices’ is ‘now behind us’.
“ That period, however, is now behind us. The ‘new era’ is apparently not just for China,” he said.
Indeed, Indian policy in the past has exhibited a remarkable degree of self-restraint that led to the expectation that others can have a veto over its choices. That period, however, is now behind us. The ‘new era’ is apparently not just for China.— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 18, 2022
Pushing the Make in India and the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, Jaishankar said India needs to compete vigorously in its immediate periphery.
Internationally, building deeper relationships and promoting better understanding of its interests strengthens India. We must prepare to compete more effectively, especially in our immediate periphery.— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 18, 2022
“We must prepare to compete more effectively, especially in our immediate periphery,” Jaishankar said while reflecting on the need to build deeper relationships and promote better understanding of India’s interests internationally.
The external affairs minister also pointed out that India ‘determinedly’ took a bilateral approach to China in order to show Asian solidarity and also on the basis of suspicion towards third parties who would benefit from a conflict between the two.
He, however, also referred to “structural gaps” between both nations. “While noting divergences between India and China, it is really their structural gaps that have developed over the last 60 years which present a challenge. These have two broad metrics: one, the Cumulative Border Balance (CBB) and the other, Comprehensive National Power (CNP),” Jaishankar said.
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