Jaishankar: China will influence our neighbours, India should not be afraid of competition

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that there is a need to acknowledge that China will influence India’s neighbors and that India must not be afraid of such “competitive politics”.

Every community has problems but ultimately “neighbors need each other”, he said during an interactive session with students at the Indian Institute of Management, Bombay, when asked about tense relations with the Maldives.

Jaishankar said there was competition for China’s growing influence in the region but it would be wrong to call it a failure of Indian diplomacy.

“We have to realize that China is also a neighbor and as part of competitive politics, China affects these countries in many ways. I don’t think we should be afraid of China. I think we should say, okay, global politics is a competitive game . You do your best and I will do my best,” the minister said.

As a major economy, China will deploy resources and try to shape things its own way, he said, adding, “Why should we expect otherwise, but the answer to this problem is not to complain that China is doing this,” Jaishankar said . Today I want to say…we should not be afraid of competition. We should welcome competition and say I have the ability to compete. ” he added.

Referring to India’s record of helping its neighbors, he cited the example of Sri Lanka, to which New Delhi provided aid when the island nation suffered a severe economic crisis. Jaishankar urged viewers to “believe” in Indian diplomacy.

“Every country has problems with its neighbors. It’s never as good as they say. Things are never as bad as they say. There will be problems. Our job is to anticipate, assess, respond. At the end of the day, neighbors It still matters,” the foreign minister said. He pointed out that in politics, sharp positions are taken, but diplomacy is not always conducted in accordance with these sharp positions.

“At the end of the day, neighbors need each other. History and geography are very powerful forces. There’s no escaping that,” he added. Earlier this month, newly elected Maldives President Mohamed Muizum asked India to withdraw all Indian military personnel deployed in the Maldives by March 15. The Maldives government also said a Chinese ship equipped to conduct research and surveys would dock in the Maldives. Maldives supply port. It is worth noting that Muizu’s first port of call after being elected president was Beijing, not India.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)