A multipolar world must have its foundation in a multipolar Asia, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Friday. Addressing a virtual event on India-Japan relationship, the Minister said the relations between the two sides should be expanded to include other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
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“Seventy years ago, this was a very western [dominated] world. From the time the G7 used to meet, — today we call it G20 and we call this process “rebalancing”. Essentially some Asian economies go up the ladder every two decades. There has been rebalancing also in Asia. What applies to the world also applies to Asia. A multipolar world must have its foundation in multipolar Asia,” said Mr. Jaishankar highlighting the fact that Japan and India have agreed on maintaining a multipolar Asian continent.
The comments indicate at the line of thinking of the top Indian policymakers who are currently engaged in tackling a diplomatic and military challenge from China which is unfolding along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. The Chinese challenge has been interpreted here as a move to establish Beijing’s domination in the entire Asian landmass, including the South Asian region.
Mr. Jaishankar also called for expanding the Japan-India relation to include the Russian far east that borders China and can be of help to Japan. The External Affairs Minister said India had shown “much greater willingness” for projects in the Russian far east.
