External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the relationship between India and China is currently trying to disentangle itself from the complications arising from the post-2020 border situation in the wake of the prolonged military stand-off between the two countries in eastern Ladakh.
”More thought needs to be given to the long-term evolution of our ties. India has to prepare for expressions of China’s growing capabilities, particularly those that impinge directly on our interests,” he said addressing an event in Mumbai.
The minister was of the view that a more rapid development of India’s comprehensive national power is necessary. ”This is not just about correcting the earlier neglect of the border infrastructure and the oceanic periphery, but also mitigating dependence on sensitive domains.”
He said India’s approach vis a vis China can be summed up in three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest. Mr Jaishankar said the emergence of a multipolar Asia is an essential prerequisite for a multipolar world.
On India’s ties with Russia, the minister said Moscow has long held importance for India’s foreign policy. Despite all the ups and downs that the world has seen since 1945, this is one relationship that has largely held steady.
”For decades, Russia has had a salience in India’s national security calculus. As Russia is redirecting its attention towards Asia, there is a further logic that is emerging. Deeper economic cooperation between India and Russia has a stabilising consequence for the global economy. The connectivity potential of the collaboration also holds great promise,” he said.
The minister said India’s expanding footprint will inevitably meet Russia’s influence in many regions. Like the rest of the world, India is not impervious to the implications of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. New Delhi has been a persistent advocate of dialogue and diplomacy and is convinced that a solution cannot emerge from the battlefield, he added.
Regarding India’s neighbourhood, he said India’s challenge has been to rebuild a neighbourhood in the aftermath of the partition. It is doing so through a generous and non-reciprocal approach, funding and supporting energy, rail and road connectivity.
”Expanding trade and investment and intensifying exchanges and contacts. In times of crisis, India has served as an insurance for its smaller neighbours. Sri Lanka discovered that in 2023 when India put together a package of more than $ 4 billion,” he added.
Mr Jaishankar said political developments may throw up complex situations as is being witnessed in Bangladesh. It is the mutuality of interest that should be counted upon to prevail. ”Pakistan remains the exception in our neighbourhood in view of its support for cross-border terrorism. And that cancer is now consuming its own body politic. The entire subcontinent has a shared interest in Pakistan abjuring that approach,” he added.