NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday stressed that India has a very low tolerance for any form of cross-border terrorism. Speaking about China Jaishankar described the situation as ‘more complex’, and listed three factors that impact the situation.
“Would you do business with somebody who had just barged into your drawing room and is trying to make a mess of your house? there is a common sense proposition here,” said the EAM.
The second issue highlighted by the EAM is the “trade imbalance issue.” He said, “We have a problem with the business community of India which is that businesses still is making choices based really on price point. I understand the compulsion of business but in the long run, we will have to see how we encourage businesses to do much more domestic sourcing and for that, we need to see much more domestic production.”
The third issue, according to Jaishankar, is that many countries today have a national security filter. This filter does not mean that nothing comes in, but rather that certain national security sensitivities must be evaluated in a business proposition. “Where China is concerned, we will still encourage people in this country to manufacture in India, source in India, procure from India, wherever possible, try to think long term…but we have not completely prohibited working with China,” he said.
‘Tolerance for any kind of cross-border terrorism activity is very low’
Jaishankar further added that in 2014, India made a firm decision not to tolerate any cross-border terrorism. He said, “I think the people of this nation made a very clear decision in 2014 that they are not going to accept it. In this country, I think the tolerance for any kind of cross-border terrorism activity is very low. There will be consequences, both across the LoC and across the IB, if something like this happens. That is the message of Uri and Balakot.”
“Where Pakistan is concerned, one, we have struggled continuously with the fact that they have unrelentingly practiced terrorism. This attitude in our country earlier that we put up with terrorism as an eccentricity of our neighbour, that’s the way they are, and we have to live with it,” said the EAM.
The EAM added that if Pakistan ceases such actions, the people of India will treat them as a normal neighbor. “The ball is in their court. If they wind down this industry that they have built up in many decades, then people will treat them like a normal neighbour. If they make this their core competence, then obviously that will define their image,” he said.
Jaishankar pointed out that in 2019, Imran Khan’s government in Pakistan took various measures to degrade the relations between the two countries. “So we have been very straight, that they have to make up their mind and part of the problem is also, after 2019, when Imran Khan’s government took several steps that downgrade the relationship, we didn’t do it, they did it,” he said.
The EAM was speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2024.
(With inputs from agencies)
“Would you do business with somebody who had just barged into your drawing room and is trying to make a mess of your house? there is a common sense proposition here,” said the EAM.
The second issue highlighted by the EAM is the “trade imbalance issue.” He said, “We have a problem with the business community of India which is that businesses still is making choices based really on price point. I understand the compulsion of business but in the long run, we will have to see how we encourage businesses to do much more domestic sourcing and for that, we need to see much more domestic production.”
The third issue, according to Jaishankar, is that many countries today have a national security filter. This filter does not mean that nothing comes in, but rather that certain national security sensitivities must be evaluated in a business proposition. “Where China is concerned, we will still encourage people in this country to manufacture in India, source in India, procure from India, wherever possible, try to think long term…but we have not completely prohibited working with China,” he said.
‘Tolerance for any kind of cross-border terrorism activity is very low’
Jaishankar further added that in 2014, India made a firm decision not to tolerate any cross-border terrorism. He said, “I think the people of this nation made a very clear decision in 2014 that they are not going to accept it. In this country, I think the tolerance for any kind of cross-border terrorism activity is very low. There will be consequences, both across the LoC and across the IB, if something like this happens. That is the message of Uri and Balakot.”
“Where Pakistan is concerned, one, we have struggled continuously with the fact that they have unrelentingly practiced terrorism. This attitude in our country earlier that we put up with terrorism as an eccentricity of our neighbour, that’s the way they are, and we have to live with it,” said the EAM.
The EAM added that if Pakistan ceases such actions, the people of India will treat them as a normal neighbor. “The ball is in their court. If they wind down this industry that they have built up in many decades, then people will treat them like a normal neighbour. If they make this their core competence, then obviously that will define their image,” he said.
Jaishankar pointed out that in 2019, Imran Khan’s government in Pakistan took various measures to degrade the relations between the two countries. “So we have been very straight, that they have to make up their mind and part of the problem is also, after 2019, when Imran Khan’s government took several steps that downgrade the relationship, we didn’t do it, they did it,” he said.
The EAM was speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit 2024.
(With inputs from agencies)