India’s new foreign minister to take tougher approach towards China: Research Fellow
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BEIJING: While commenting on Vijay Gokhale as India’s new foreign secretary, a Chinese research fellow said on Thursday that in comparison with his predecessor S Jaishankar, Ghokhale might adopt an even tougher approach towards China.
"Gokhale will implement Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East diplomacy - trying to contend with China by establishing closer ties with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and enhancing India's influence in Southeast Asia," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
Hu said, "India also actively responds to US policies on containing China by meddling in the South China Sea issue."
Instead of apologizing, the Modi administration has kept making trouble all along the China-India border ever since the Doklam standoff, Hu said.
“I am not too optimistic about future ties,” he explained.
"Instead of making trouble, Gokhale and other Indian politicians and officials should do more to improve ties," Hu said.
Hu's remarks came in response to Gokhale's appointment as India's new foreign secretary.
Some Indian media consider Gokhale an expert on China and noted that he was India's Ambassador to Beijing when the Doklam standoff erupted in June last year. APP
