‘Never said won’t do business with China,’ Jaishankar highlights India’s ‘special problem’

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Jaishankar’s remarks came days after India and China held the 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on Border Affairs on August 29 in Beijing.

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday (Aug 31) said that New Delhi has a “special China problem,” adding that the state of bilateral ties warrants heavy scrutiny of investments from the communist country.

Jaishankar said China is the focus of major national security and economic debates in Europe and the United States. “Look at the United States. It is obsessed with China, and rightly so in many ways,” the Indian top diplomat said.

“So, the fact is that it is not only India which has a China problem…India has a China problem… a special China problem that is over and above the world’s general China problem,” the External Affairs Minister (EAM) said.

Jaishankar’s remarks came days after India and China held the 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on Border Affairs on August 29 in Beijing.

Business Trade deficit

The foreign minister also addressed the concerns regarding the increasing trade deficit with China and blamed the policies of previous governments.

“We consciously overlooked the nature of Chinese production and the advantages which they enjoyed in a system where they got a level playing field with all the advantages they brought to bed,” said Jaishankar.

The EAM added that given China is a country with a “very different way of working,” India was taking all the precautions.

“Once you understand that because there is a general problem with China as well as our own situation, all of you know we have a very difficult situation at the border for the last four years. I think the sensible response to it is to take the precautions that a country like India is taking,” he stated.

Jaishankar clarified that the Indian government never said it would stop inviting investments from China, but added that they will be heavily scrutinised.

“On the investments issue, it is common sense that investments from China would be scrutinised, I think the border and state of relations between India and China call for it,” the EAM said.

(With inputs from agencies)