New Delhi:

India’s diplomacy stands out globally for its ability to balance ties between adversaries. The latest example of this is happening this week. As foreign minister S Jaishankar touches down in New Delhi after a five-day visit to the US for Donald Trump’s inauguration, foreign secretary Vikram Misri heads to China to foster ties with Beijing.

Just ten days ago, during a visit to Spain, foreign minister S Jaishankar had said India is one of the very few countries in the world that can engage both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Iran. “This is something very, very unique. And it is unique because if you look at the world today, it is a very polarised world,” he said.

Donald Trump has threatened to impose hefty tariffs on China and even the BRICS+ countries, which India is a member of as well. China, the world’s second-largest economy, has warned that it will retaliate, should Washington actually follow through. President Trump has also targeted China over its presence in the Panama Canal and said the US will take control of the waterway even if it means involving the military. China, on the other hand, has warned Washington over its involvement with Taiwan. Both nations have sanctioned each other.

ENGAGING ALL SIDES

Amid all this, India, which according to PM Modi, has “always chosen the side of peace”, aims to engage all sides for positive and constructive outcomes. Earlier this week, S Jaishankar strengthened India-US bilateral ties when he met the US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser for their first foreign engagements after the Trump administration took over. As PM Modi’s special envoy, Dr Jaishankar was also given the first seat at the US President’s inauguration.

As he returned after concluding “a very positive” visit to Washington, India’s foreign secretary heads to Beijing to build the momentum in India-China ties following a meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia late-last year. Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit was preceded by a visit by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval last month when he met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

REBUILDING AFTER THE STORM

India and China, two of Asia’s leading economies and the world’s most populous nations, are working to boost bilateral ties after a four-and-a-half-year-long military standoff along the Line of Actual Control or LAC brought ties to a grinding halt. After dozens of rounds of talks – both diplomatically and militarily – an agreement was reached and troops on both sides pulled back from the buffer zones, returning the status quo-ante. This happened within a week of PM Modi and Xi Jinping announcing it during a meeting in Russia late last year. Following this, Chinese and Indian foreign and defence ministers also met each other on multilateral occasions.

After Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s will be the second high-level visit by an Indian official to Beijing in a month.

A WELCOME FROM BEIJING

China has welcomed Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit this weekend and sounded positive about its outcome. “We welcome Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri’s travel to China for the meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between China and India,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs also said that “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be visiting Beijing on January 26 and 27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China. The resumption of this bilateral mechanism flows from the agreement at the leadership level to discuss the next steps for India-China relations, including in the political, economic, and people-to-people domains.”

THE AGENDA

Besides bilateral issues such as boundary talks, maintaining peace along the LAC, the building of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, people-to-people ties, resuming direct flights between the two countries, and facilitate the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens, the two sides are also likely to touch upon issues of mutual global interest.

“All matters of mutual interest will be discussed,” the foreign ministry said at a press briefing in New Delhi ahead of the foreign secretary’s visit.

The BRICS+, where both countries are threatened with massive tariffs, might figure in talks as well, as would the latest sanctions threat to countries dealing with Russia and buying Russian oil – again a common threat to both countries. Regional issues such as the situation in the Middle East and in Syria are likely to be discussed too.

US backing out of the Paris Climate agreement and the WHO, as well as the much-needed reform of the United Nations and the Security Council are likely to be discussed as well.

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New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday emphasised that friendships are no longer exclusive, especially in the emerging multipolar world, adding that some global partners might be more complicated than others in the world as they might not always share the “same culture of mutual respect or ethos of diplomatic etiquette.”

At a book launch event in New Delhi, Mr Jaishankar pointed out that what is perceived as freedom by one nation can be viewed as interference by another and emphasised that sensibilities regarding sovereignty and territorial integrity remain crucial in evaluating international partnerships.

“Some friends may also be more complicated than others. They may not always share the same culture of mutual respect or ethos of diplomatic etiquette. We have, from time to time, seen comments on our domestic issues… However, the same courtesies are rarely accorded to the other side. What is freedom for one can apparently become interference from the other. The fact is that sensitivities like sovereignty and territorial integrity will always be a factor in evaluating partners,” Mr Jaishankar said.

The minister underlined that New Delhi seeks to be friends with as many countries as possible while positioning itself as a global friend. He said that India’s positioning as a “Vishwamitra” is aimed at cultivating friendships across the globe. He explained that there were cultural and historical factors to develop such friendships, including the fact that India was not a “dogmatic civilisation.”

He added that India’s capability contributes to its self-confidence in engaging with the world and highlighted three transformations under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Jaishankar referenced the benefits the US, Japan, and Australia have gained from the Quad partnership, suggesting that these nations have navigated historical hesitations. He also mentioned the evolving comprehensive relationships with the UAE and Israel, stating that much of the credit for all these changes in the last decade goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal interest and leadership.

“India is today positioning itself as a Vishwamitra. We seek to be friends with as many as possible… If you look deeper, there are cultural and historical factors at work as well, including the fact that we are not a dogmatic civilization. There is a capability aspect as well, which accounts for the self-confidence with which we approach the world… The US, Japan, and Australia have benefitted from the Quad. They are examples of overcoming the hesitations of history. UAE and Israel are from a region that is being engaged comprehensively at last. Russia and France are statements of multipolarity, ours as much as theirs,” he said.

“If all these types have changed so much in the last decade, I’m sure you would agree with me that much of the credit should go to PM Modi for his personal interest and leadership. Because, remember, at least three of them had not even seen a high-level visit for three decades. In other cases, there was either pressure on us to limit our interaction or, in a few cases, longstanding ideological doubts to overcome,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar was speaking at a book launch, “Friends: India’s Closest Strategic Partners” by Sreeram Chaulia at the Silver Oak, India Habitat Centre.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)