NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said arriving at an equilibrium with China and maintaining it is going to be one of the biggest challenges for both countries. He was speaking at the Raisina Dialogue on Friday.
He said that the immediate issue at hand was Beijing's departure from laid down norms triggering the border row in eastern Ladakh.
“China plays mind games to restrict the issues under the bilateral framework. India must not forgo its rights to harness other factors in the world to get better terms on an equilibrium,” Jaishankar said.
He also said that on the economic front, there would be a time when the Chinese economy would begin to plateau and India would be growing. He referred to projections by Goldman Sachs that suggested that by 2075, both countries could end up as $50 trillion plus economies.
“India should be confident enough to leverage the international system to create the best possible outcome,” he added.
Regarding India's relationship with China, Jaishankar said, “Here is the immediate issue which is, since the late 1980s, we had an understanding on the border precisely because it suited both of us. Now there was a departure after almost 30 years. A departure on their side in terms of how they behaved on the border. And there was a pushback from our side.”
"I think arriving at an equilibrium, then maintaining and refreshing it is going to be one of the biggest challenges for both countries. It is not going to be easy," he added.
He said China was trying to project that the other 190-odd countries do not exist in the relationship. “That will be the mind game which will be played. I do not think we should play it," he said.
Meanwhile, regarding Russia, he said it's a power with an enormous tradition of statecraft and it is turning more towards Asia and the non-Western parts of the world.
On Moscow's growing proximity with Beijing, he said it made sense to give Russia multiple options.
"I think it makes sense to give Russia multiple options. If we railroad Russia into a single option and say that's really bad because that's the outcome, then you are making it a self-fulfilling prophecy," he said.
