Jaishankar’s Firm Stance: India’s Response to China’s Claims and Pakistan’s Terrorism
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, expressed strong disapproval towards China and Pakistan during his recent address in Singapore. He challenged China’s audacious territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh and affirmed that India wouldn’t compromise on terrorism issues when it comes to restoring cordial relations with Pakistan.
Addressing a multi-faceted crowd in Singapore, Jaishankar was firm in his dismissal of China’s unjustified territorial claims. He labelled such assertions over Arunachal Pradesh as both ‘ridiculous’ and baseless, underscoring its integral role as part of India’s sovereignty.
Jaishankar articulated these sentiments during a post-lecture Q&A session for his book, ‘Why Bharat Matters’, at Singapore’s acclaimed Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore (NUS). His visit forms part of a three-day diplomatic tour.
Coming hot on the heels of a controversial declaration by the Chinese military on Arunachal Pradesh, Jaishankar’s comments signify India’s outright rebuttal of the state being an “integral part of China’s territory”. This notion was further refuted by the External Affairs Ministry which dismissed these incorrigible claims, affirming Arunachal Pradesh to be an irrefutable aspect of India.
Addressing the Pakistan issue, Jaishankar pointed out the unabated sponsoring of terrorism, almost at an “industry level”. He made it clear that India is currently not in a position to disregard these elements of disruption.
His argument contained a sense of anguish about tackling a neighbor that openly employs terrorism as a diplomatic tool. Striking a note of pragmatism, Jaishankar reiterated that nations, ideally, aspire for a stable or, at the very least, a peaceful neighbourhood.
Cognizant of the complexities of the situation with Pakistan, Jaishankar iterated that simply ignoring the problem wouldn’t provide any viable solutions. Regardless of the complexity and gravity of the problems faced, he signaled that India shouldn’t be taken for granted.
In a panel discussion earlier this month, Jaishankar stated how India had not “closed doors” on dialogue with Pakistan pertaining to bi-national ties. Yet, he maintained the centrality of the terrorism issue, warranting a clear and straightforward discussion, regardless of the topics tabled in negotiations.
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