HE SAID, SHE SAID: INDIA-CHINA ARGUMENT CONTINUES

Swadeshi Jagaran Manch: “To make people aware of China’s nefarious designs, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has launched Rashtriya Swadeshi Suraksha Abhiyan from January 12, 2017. Over one crore people have given their undertaking in writing to boycott Chinese goods. Protest marches, dharnas, rallies, public meetings and burning effigies of Chinese goods took place during this period. Our efforts have resulted in the central government imposing anti-dumping duty on a number of Chinese goods, including 18 per cent on the import of steel from China.”

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Yi: “Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation, which is the natural choice and the right choice for both… There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats….We should make sure that differences do not go out of control.”

Chief of Army Staff Gen Bipin Rawat: “As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging, which could gradually emerge into conflict.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang: “As reported by the Indian press... we don’t know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government... Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard.”