• Thursday, March 28, 2024

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India weighing trade ties with China: Foreign secretary

Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

INDIA is carefully weighing various options in terms of its trade ties with northern neighbour China to protect its economy from any vulnerability, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the country’s foreign secretary, said on Wednesday (24) while making remarks in the backdrop of the two nations’ border confrontation in eastern Ladakh.

Speaking in an interactive session at the Indian Chamber of Commerce, the diplomat said New Delhi needs to evaluate its ties with Beijing in terms of supply chains, investment tie-ups and technology while keeping pace with its larger strategic and security interests.

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“Trade continues, there are investment ties that continue but all of this has to be examined very carefully and the government is examining all these options very, very carefully to ensure that our integrity and security remain intact,” he said.

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Shringla added that China maintained an aggressive posture and attempted several transgressions along the border in eastern Ladakh – something not conducive to peace and security.

“And as a result, we are not able to conduct normal relations. Having said that, of course, trade continues, import and export continues, China continues to be an economic partner,” he said.

“But obviously we need to today evaluate whether we are over extended in terms of our supply chains, in terms of our investment tie-ups, in terms of the technology that we get,” he said.

“We need to examine all of those very carefully to see that it is in keeping with our larger strategic and security interests and that obviously, as we move forward, our own economy grows, our own interactions grow,” Shringla said, adding that India needs to ensure that it is not vulnerable in any way.

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