Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas & Puneet Bhatia
Vikram Mehta, the chairman of Brookings India and the son of Jagat Singh Mehta, former Indian Foreign Secretory (1976-1979), spoke to The Quint about India’s relationship with China.
Mehta shared how his father, during his posting in China, would walk out of banquets in silent protest of the Chinese’s criticism of India after the war of 1962. He remembered how Jagat Mehta was given an ultimatum by China to withdraw India’s forces during the Indo-Pak war in 1965, and how he rightly judged it to be more of diplomatic support to Pakistan and a mere bluff, and hence advised the Indian government to not take it seriously.
He said the Indian government’s response to China is clear. India wants to restore the status quo at the border and re-evaluate its economic and strategic relationship with China. And in the process India might witness development and redefinition of its relationship with the United States, Japan, Korea, Australia, and the Middle East.
Watch the video above for the full discussion.
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