Addressing the broader geopolitical context, Jaishankar acknowledged the shifting dynamics between the US and China. “There are certain realities of the landscape, and one of them is that the relationship between the US and China is not what it used to be. It has acquired a much sharper competitive edge,” he said.“Frankly, where we are concerned, we look at these two countries, and each one of them has made up its mind about how it views the other,” he continued. “Obviously, there will be an element of tactics to it. There’s a larger strategic view that they have of each other.”India, Jaishankar stressed, pursues its interests within this complex global framework. “I think in many ways, you can see that we have very strong convergences with the United States. At the same time, we are China’s largest neighbour. We share a land boundary. We want stable relations with China,” he said.He acknowledged that while China is a major trading partner for India, the relationship remains unbalanced. “So for us, how to sort of steady the China relationship, create an equilibrium that is fair to us (and) at the same time, how do you work the convergences with the United States and get the most out of it. I mean, that’s, frankly, the way we would approach it,” Jaishankar said.
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