Reaching understanding with China a big challenge: Jaishankar

Reaching an understanding with China is one of the big challenges before Sino-Indian relations, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S Jaishankar. Addressing the India@75 summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Minister said India and China have similarities in various aspects as two of the biggest economies of the world, but an understanding between the two is a crucial issue.

“We are demographically two very unique countries, only two with billion-plus [population] categories. We are seeing parallel but differential rise of the two countries. But all of these are happening at a time when we are neighbours as modern states. To my mind, what it does is that it puts a huge premium on reaching some kind of equilibrium or understanding between the two. And how to do that is one of the big challenges that we face,” Mr. Jaishankar said, arguing that the “world has a lot riding on this given our size and our impact”.

He said the Chinese were probably also discussing this internally. “Certainly this is something which I feel is very central for our foreign policy calculation,” said the EAM. The comments from the Minister will add to the existing churn in India’s bilateral relations with China as the military situation in eastern Ladakh continues.

Mr. Jaishankar highlighted the importance of non-alignment and globalisation in the changing world order and explained the challenges facing both. He said non-alignment is increasingly an issue-based idea facing India. He said the challenge was not in choosing partners for alignment but issues that determine the partnership.