Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the stable relationship between India and China is important not just for the two nations, but for the entire region and world.
A stable India-China relations are important for the entire world, PM Modi said in an interview with US’s Newsweek magazine.
“For India, the relationship with China is important and significant. It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us,” said the Prime Minister.
PM Modi was referring to the slide in ties with China following the military standoff that began four years ago along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The two sides have engaged in multiple rounds of diplomatic and high-level military talks to resolve the standoff, without much breakthrough. For now, both sides have agreed to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground.
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“Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world. I hope and believe that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, we will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquility in our borders,” he said.
On the Quad grouping that is seen as a counter to China in the Indo-Pacific, PM Modi told the US magazine, “The US, Australia, Japan, India, China: All these countries are members of many groups. We are present in different combinations in different groups. Quad is not aimed against any country. Like many other international groupings, like SCO, BRICS and others, Quad is also a group of like-minded countries working on a shared positive agenda.”
On competing with China, he said, “India, as a democratic polity and global economic growth engine, is a natural choice for those looking to diversify their supply chains.”
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“Given our strengths, India is now globally considered most suited for manufacturing world-class goods at competitive cost. Apart from producing for the world, the vast Indian domestic market is an added attraction. India is a perfect destination for those who want to set up trusted and resilient supply chains,” he said.
On allegations of discrimination of religious minorities, the Prime Minister said, “These are usual tropes of some people who don’t bother to meet people outside their bubbles. Even India’s minorities don’t buy this narrative anymore. Minorities from all religions, be it Muslim, Christians, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain or even a micro-minority like Parsis are living happily and thriving in India.”
Speaking about leadership, Modi said, “Listening is an important quality for leadership. I am god-gifted with this quality, and I have also cultivated it. Another quality that I have is that I am always in the moment. I am not distracted by phone calls, messages or anything else. When I am doing something, I am 100 percent involved and engrossed in that task.”
“For leaders, I feel it is important that they have a bottom-to-top feedback channel. A leader should have the ability to connect to the grassroots and get unfiltered feedback. There should also be multiple such channels of feedback, so that human biases and preferences get neutralized. I have spent at least a night in around 80 percent of India’s districts. So I have direct connections almost everywhere, which helps me get direct feedback. At the same time, it is important that guidance or instructions efficiently reach from top to bottom,” he said.