Rahul Gandhi's comments on China scary, should gift both my and Dr Jaishankar's books to him, says American strategist on China

“It’s very scary, if I can use that word, to see Rahul Gandhi’s comments about China. We had a few people in America, who think the way Rahul Gandhi apparently thinks about China—that ‘harmony is the key feature of China’ [Laughs].

“Almost all those people, the old panda huggers, have changed their minds. They have come alive. They realise that they have a global challenge from China,” said Pillsbury, who is the Director of the Centre on Chinese Strategy at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C.

Pillsbury said the world is watching the “India moment” and the Indian political leadership has within its hands the chance to be sure that the world is not ruled by “the no.1, the dominant China.”

“In many ways it’s up to India to decide what to do,” he remarked.

In context of India’s role amid threats to global peace posed by Chinese aggression, he said, “I now see India as the world’s chance to see that China doesn’t become a dominant, aggressive and dictatorial society.”

He pointed out that the reaction in China to Dr Jaishankar’s books is very negative.

“If you carefully read Dr Jaishankar’s book ‘The India Way’, he proposes that India should play a shapy roll in the global order not only as a voice for the global self but for other reasons as well,” he said.

“They don’t like the idea that India could play a global roll to speak for the global self. They believe that its China’s responsibility,” he said, underscoring China’s motives to create an imbalance in global power equation in its favour.

When told that Dr Jaishankar has said he received his book as gift the maximum number of times, Pillsbury said laughingly that both books written by him and the Indian minister should be gifted to Rahul Gandhi.

Earlier in the session, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar it was troubling as a citizen of India to see "somebody drooling over China".

"I am troubled as a citizen of India when I see somebody drooling over China and being dismissive about India," Jaishankar said when asked about his thoughts on Rahul Gandhi's recent address made in the United Kingdom.

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s contradicting remarks of India "being scared of China" and “harmony is the key feature of China,” Jaishankar said, "When Panda huggers try to be China hawks... it doesn't fly."

EAM Jaishankar also responded to Rahul Gandhi's allegations "Rahul Gandhi talks admiringly of China and describes the country as 'harmony', he says China is the greatest manufacturer and says 'Make In India' won't work."

"You can have a point of view about a country, but you should not undermine the national morale," the EAM said in a sharp counter to Rahul Gandhi.

Jaishankar said though both sides have made substantial progress in disengagement and discussions are on to scale down troop build-up at other friction points, the foreign minister noted that the situation remains “fragile” and “dangerous” as per military assessment.

India has sent a clear message to Beijing that the Chinese intention to put the border dispute on the back burner and maintain rest of the relationship like nothing happened is not acceptable, the EAM said.

Though both sides have made substantial progress in disengagement and discussions are on to scale down troop build-up at other friction points, the foreign minister noted that the situation remains “fragile” and “dangerous” as per military assessment.

Recalling his recent meetings with his Chinese counterparts, Jaishankar said, “When I met Wang Yi, we came to an understanding on how to resolve the border crisis. Now I've met with the new foreign minister Qin Gang. I have made it clear that we cannot have a breach of peace then continue the rest of the relationship like nothing happened.”

He went on to state, “China has to deliver. China will have to resolve the border situation to move forward.”