India's general election is over, and as the dust finally settles, Modi has not only locked in his own re-election, but also successfully formed a new cabinet. This time, Jaishankar was once again appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs. As soon as he took office, Jaishankar directly made his attitude clear about the problems existing in China and India.
According to global network news, on the first day of his re-election as India's foreign minister, Jaishankar began to be busy setting the tone for the development of China and India in the next five years. Jaishankar's "neighbour first" policy reflects the Indian government's desire to strengthen its regional influence by strengthening cooperation with its neighbors.
[External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar]
During his speech, Jaishankar made a special mention of the development of China-India and India-Pakistan relations, and made it clear that Jaishankar would give priority to resolving these two long-standing disputes. Especially regarding the tensions on the Sino-Indian border, Jaishankar's speech seems to be taking these outstanding border issues very seriously.
However, it is worth mentioning that Jaishankar did not explicitly propose a specific solution. While his statement marks a positive start, he does not elaborate on how this will be achieved, so there is still a big question mark over Jaishankar's highlighted "neighbour first" policy.
Combined with previous reports, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that India seems to be interested in easing the border dispute with China through diplomatic and military contacts. Such an approach may indicate that the Indian side wants to resolve the issue through dialogue rather than confrontation. However, Jaishankar's subsequent remarks revealed a tougher stance of demanding concessions and compromises from China on border issues, especially on issues related to Indian military patrols.
Against the backdrop of a border dispute between China and India that has not been fully resolved in recent years, Jaishankar's remarks not only deepened the suspicions between China and India, but also complicated diplomatic relations between the two sides. As a matter of fact, China's position on the issue of southern Tibet has always been clear but firm, that is, it will resolutely defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty and will not allow any form of encroachment that threatens China's territorial security. Therefore, if the Indian side tries to gain more strategic advantages through negotiations, then such an idea is undoubtedly a miscalculation of the actual situation.
[Indian "BrahMos" missiles arrived in Manila]
What's more, the Indian side was also interested in the maritime issue, not only sending "BrahMos" cruise missiles to the Philippines, but also sending a naval formation to Manila to organize joint military exercises with the Philippines. According to the analysis, the Indian side actually wants to use the South China Sea issue to try to put pressure on China so that China can make compromises and concessions.
Whether it was its intention to intervene in the South China Sea issue or its strong statement, it expressed India's intention not to compromise. However, the Indian side overestimated its own strength and underestimated China's ability to respond.
The modernization process of China's armed forces is accelerating, which is reflected in many aspects, such as the projection of troops, the research and development and deployment of high-tech weapons and equipment, and the enhancement of joint combat capabilities. Hypersonic weapons, fifth-generation fighters, and the Beidou satellite navigation system have greatly enhanced its capabilities at both the strategic and tactical levels.
On the issue of southern Tibet, China has also asserted its sovereignty in a variety of ways, including but not limited to diplomatic statements, the release of official maps, and the naming of places in disputed areas. In addition, the PLA's military deployment and infrastructure construction in the border areas also reflect its determination to make territorial claims.
【China-India Border Issue】
Despite this, China still prefers to adopt peaceful means in dealing with territorial disputes, emphasizing the resolution of differences through dialogue and consultation. This is in line with China's consistent advocacy of the path of "peaceful development" and the "new security concept", that is, seeking a fair and reasonable solution on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law.
Thus, while China's growing military power has given China more initiative, its strategy on southern Tibet is likely to be multidimensional, including a combination of diplomatic, economic, legal, and military means. At the same time, India should also pay more attention to working with other countries through multilateral mechanisms to jointly find a path to regional stability and development.