Jan Ki Baat Founder and CEO, Pradip Bhandari interviewed Shubh Soni, Programme Director, ORF on the recent BRICS Summit.
After Doklam, this was India and China’s first formal meet. It is to be seen what it brings for the 2 nations.
We present here the main excerpts from the interview.
Q1. Do you think India considers China as an ally, or a concerned neighbor, or a rival, or any other way you want to describe it?
A. It is an ally of convenience.
Q2. Why mentioning Pakistan based terror groups is not a big breakthrough?
A. I won’t say it is a significant step but it is an important one. I don’t think it has changed how China views Pakistan.
Q3. What do you think India and China will achieve in their bilateral relationship going forward?
A. There won’t be another Doklam incident in the future.
Q4. China has failed to alter status quo in the border dispute. It has generally been China’s strategy to alter status quo in the border dispute. Do u believe it has been successful?
A. No
Q5. Three major takeaways from the BRICS Summit which recently concluded?
A. On terror, we have gained some ground.
A Local currency fund that has been set up is a major step forward.
They are going to take forward the momentum of COP 21.
Q6.Indian Foreign Secretary, S Jaishankar said that the meeting between the two leaders was forward looking. Can u interpret what dimensions does ” forward looking” mean?
A. I think forward looking means Doklam for now is done, as both have reached an agreement and they are now looking to collaborate.
Also, I would assume that security of south Asia must have come up.
I would assume security and border related issues between the two countries must have come up.
Q7. Do you believe there would be another framework which would be set up?
A. In the past decade, there has been an understanding with China that let’s cooperate and integrate our economies, as both of us are dependent on each other. Both of us have large gains to make on the economic front. I think now the time has come to start integrating politically along with integrating economically.
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