‘With neighbour like China, we have to learn to compete’
Boosting India’s domestic manufacturing and the overall economy will provide much more resources in its foreign policy toolkit to expand the country’s inuence globally and compete with China on the economic front, External A«airs Minister S Jaishankar has said.
In an interview to PTI, Mr. Jaishankar said India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been focusing on enhancing domestic manufacturing as there was a neglect of the sector before 2014 that created many problems for the country.
He also suggested that lack of focus in the past on the manufacturing sector is linked to the upward trajectory in India-China trade notwithstanding New Delhi’s approach that normalisation of ties with Beijing is dependent on resolution of the eastern Ladakh
border row.
“We need to be condent. I am clear that international politics, international relations are competitive. I have a neighbour like China. I have to learn to compete,” he said.
His response came to a query on why India’s bilateral trade volume with China is going up when New Delhi has been insisting that the ties cannot be normal if the border situation is abnormal. He suggested that such a scenario has arisen as adequate attention to the manufacturing sector was not given before 2014 in the country.