'Normal ties with China impossible if ...': Jaishankar talks tough on border issues

‘Normal ties with China impossible if …’: Jaishankar talks tough on border issues

NEW DELHI: India has explained to China that unless a mutual solution is found to the border issues there can be no normalisation in ties, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, adding that India has changed and so has the world’s view of it.

Speaking at the Manhattan: Townhall meeting in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, the minister said he had explained to his Chinese counterpart that “unless you find a solution on the border, if the forces remain face-to-face … there will be tension … you should not expect that the rest of the relations will go on in a normal manner, it is impossible.”

Referring to defence minister Rajnath Singh’s recent remarks that the courage displayed by Indian soldiers during the standoff with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Arunachal Pradesh forced Beijing and the world to change perspective on India, Jaishankar said that no major issue in the world is now decided without New Delhi’s consultation.

“Many countries today see our weight, power, and influence. We were the 10th largest economy 10 years ago, we are the fifth largest economy … in very few years, we will be the third largest economy. No major issue in the world is decided without some consultation with India. We have changed and the world’s view of us has changed,” Jaishankar added.

On being asked how New Delhi manages being part of groupings like Quad and BRICS — which consist of countries with conflicting interests — the EAM said that India is independent and needs to learn how to manage its interests by dealing with different people.

“Our nature is to be independent. We cannot and we should not be part of somebody else’s subsidiary or enterprise. Because we are independent, we have to learn how to manage our interests by dealing with different people,” he further said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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