External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar: Need to deal with China confidently

India must continue doing business with China while strengthening its own industrial and manufacturing capabilities, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, stressing the need to deal with Beijing “confidently”.

“We have to do business with the entire world. That includes China too. But it is important we deal with them confidently,” Jaishankar said at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.

Jaishankar described the 2020-24 period in India-China relations as a “particularly bad patch”, primarily because of the situation along the border.

He added that when a major relationship runs into trouble, it can affect India’s “optimal positioning”, requiring the government to adjust its approach.

Jaishankar said India’s engagement with China should ultimately contribute to modernising the domestic economy and strengthening the country’s capabilities. “For us, the purpose of this engagement is to modernise our economy and develop our capabilities. Even as we pursue that goal, there will obviously be trade and other economic interactions with China,” he said. He also acknowledged concerns raised by Indian businesses over difficulties in obtaining Chinese business visas.