The well calibrated aggressive foreign policy of the present government, which is equally well executed by the mercurial foreign minister S Jaishankar is haunting China. It is definitely on the backfoot and its frustration was vented in an article by an anonymous writer in the Global Times , the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, accusing Jaishankar of being afraid as and when relations start to improve between the two nations so as to please America. The article immediately caught the attention of the world, but it was removed suddenly not only from the Global Times but also from the social media platforms in China.
Let's examine the possible agenda behind such an article in the first place because it must not be a goof up. The removal of the article thereafter might be the result of a hit and run case or the result of an afterthought. S. Jaishankar is neither pro America nor anti America. As a matter of fact he is not inclined to any nation. He is truly neutral and national interest is paramount to him. He did not buckle down under the western pressure led by America which wanted him to support the cause of Ukraine and crticise Russia. He did not do that. This policy was well grounded in our policy of non alignment since independence and in the modern diplomatic jargon ' strategic autonomy ' which is pro active than before. Supporting Ukraine would have been supporting NATO. The crux of the problem is the Ukranian desire to become a member of NATO . This desire was planted and groomed by America so as to further encircle Russia which was emasculated after the disintegration of the USSR . There was no need to do so. Putin's aggression and strong leadership can not match the power of America led NATO. It is true that Russia has ambitions in the area, but it is equally true that it was a superpower and it must be given space for elbow maneuvering. The American policy of aggression has led to this mess. Moreover, Russia is a time tested friend.
S. Jaishankar showed the pro active element of strategic autonomy when the country decided to buy the crude oil from Russia at discounted prices in spite of American sanctions against Russia. He boldly defended the Indian decision to do so in a language whose tone and tenor was shocking to the West. The icing on the cake was that India exported the refined Russian crude to the West and minted money. Therefore, the accusation of the article is baseless and unfounded.
The Chinese criticism is aimed at blunting the sharp diplomatic acumen of S.jaishankar in the forthcoming BRICS Meet in Russia so that the domination of India could be marginalised and put him on the backfoot vis-a-vis China. These are very old and outdated tactics and China needs to think of something new and path breaking tactics to tame Jaishankar.
Another objective might be to discredit India which is fast emerging as a possible and acceptable mediator between Russia and Ukraine. China vies for this role, but it has lost credibility by clandestinely helping Russia. America, too, would not like China to further cement its place as a global player. Just imagine the stature India would gain if Putin and Jelensky meet in Delhi under the mediation of India and arrive at an amicable breakthrough. It would be a huge blow to China with whom we have been on a standoff for the last more than four years.
India is the balancing factor in any future conflict involving the big powers of the world. India realizes it and S. Jaishankar is full of self belief. No nation can deny India its rightful place in the international strategic game.
The writer is a noted academician and political commentator. Views expressed in the article are personal.
