Competition is fine, not conflict: PM Modi on China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India-China cooperation was beneficial not just for the two Asian nations but also for the world. Noting that the situation along the Line of Actual Control had normalised and India and China were now working to restore the pre-2020 status along the border, the PM said the exercise could take some time.
Speaking to Lex Fridman in a podcast today, Modi said, "India-China cooperation is not just beneficial for our two nations but also essential for global stability and prosperity. The 21st century is the Asian century. Competition is natural but there should not be conflict."
Looking back, Modi said India and China had always learned from one another, barely ever coming into conflict.
"We are both old civilizations. If you scan past records, you will find China and India have always learned from each other. At one point they contributed 50% of the world GDP. We do not have any history of conflict in the past," Modi said.
He said in the future too, India wants its ties with China "to remain strong." "Differences between the two neighbors are natural, occasional disagreements are also natural. Families have disagreements too. Our attempt is that differences should not plummet into disputes. We stress dialogue over discord. That is the only way to achieve a stable, cooperative relationship which is in the best interests of both nations," said the PM, adding that the 2020 border standoff led to distances which were now being addressed.
Mentioning his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS summit at Russia's Kazan, Modi said, "After that, normalcy has been achieved on the LAC and we are working to restore the pre-2020 status. Gradually, we hope for old trust to be restored. It will take some time because five years have passed by."
On whether there was a way forward with Pakistan, PM Modi said all his past attempts to foster peace had been negated. "The biggest breakthrough in improving relations was an invitation to Pakistan at my swearing-in ceremony in 2014. It was a landmark event which had happened after decades. We gave a message of peace but the results were not good," said Modi. He said India had accepted the Partition with a very heavy heart and Pakistan should have thanked India and chosen the path of harmony and peace.
"They (Pakistan) should have thought they have got what they wanted. They should have thanked India and lived in peace. But they chose a path of constant conflict with Bharat. A proxy war is now on....Anywhere in the world when a terror attack happens, the source is somehow always traced to Pakistan," said Modi, referring to the mastermind of the 9/11 terror attack in the US, Osama Bin Laden, taking shelter in Pakistan. Modi said Pakistan had become a cause of trouble not just for India but the whole world. "We have asked them to shun the path of terrorism, end this policy of state-sponsored terrorism. You (Pakistan) have left everything in the hands of non-state actors. What benefit will you get? I had traveled to Lahore to further the cause of peace. I invited Pakistan to my swearing-in...But each time, our efforts ended in negative outcomes. We hope Pakistan will get the wisdom to opt for peace. I feel even the people there are frustrated with this cycle of violence and bloodletting," Modi said.
