S Jaishankar: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that the ties between the two countries have not always been simple, highlighting the India-China relationship that has experienced cycles of conflict and collaboration over the past 75 years.
Jaishankar’s Tenure as Ambassador
S Jaishankar stated, “I was the ambassador in 2009, right after the global financial crisis, till 2013,” during the ‘Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations’ in New York. He added that “I saw the change of guard in China, and then I came to the US. It has never been an easy relationship. It always had its share of problems.” “It had a war in 1962, it had military incidents after that. But after 1975, there’s never been a military, a combat fatality on the border,” the minister said as quoted by ANI.
Navigating Ambiguity Amid Recent Provocations
He continues “One of the pleasures of dealing with China is that they never quite tell you why they do things, so you often end up trying to figure it out. There is always certain ambiguity.” Recent Chinese provocations, such as the publication of its “standard map” for 2023, asserting control over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region, and refusing Indian athletes competing in the Hangzhou Asian Games visas, have strained relations between India and China.
Jaishankar Highlights India’s Role in Bridging Global Divides and Joining International Groups
“One of the contradictions and it was very visible at the G20. You have a much sharper East-West polarization, whose immediate, but not only cause is the conflict in Ukraine. You have particularly because of Covid, but not only because of Covid, a very deep North-South divide. And I would say we are one of the few countries, who have the ability to actually bridge both these issues,” Jaishankar noted. He also emphasised how many blocs and groups India has recently joined, according to reports from ANI.
India’s Expanding Role in International Organizations
“It’s interesting if you look at the last decade. We have become members of more organizations. QUAD, after 2008 was revived in 2017. It’s been upgraded steadily, it has become at the level of President in 2021. The most recent is the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. We have a grouping called the I2U2, which involves India, Israel, the US, and the UAE. We joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. We have a few more organizations of a more local proximate nature,” Jaishankar said.
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