Congress latches on to Jaishankar's 'improved ties with Beijing' remark, wants debate on China in Parliament

'If the Parliament could debate the border situation in November 1962 when the Chinese invasion was at its peak, he asked, “why cannot we discuss now – especially given that both sides appear to want renormalisation', Jairam Ramesh said.

New Delhi: Attacking the Modi government over External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement about improved relationship with Beijing, Congress expressed hope that the Prime Minister will “finally agree” to a debate on China in the Monsoon Session while asking why the issue cannot be discussed in Parliament when it was done in the midst of 1962 war.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on 'X' referring to Jaishankar's post that he has briefed Chinese president Xi Jinping, "I guess the Chinese foreign minister will come and apprise Modi about recent developments in China-India ties. The EAM is now running a full blown circus aimed at destroying India’s foreign policy."

The party said in a statement that it was “essential to build a national consensus” on the critical security and economic challenges arising from China’s rise as the world’s leading manufacturing power and its position as the second-largest economy, one that “may well surpass” the United States within a decade.

The remarks came as Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to Beijing, said that the India-China bilateral relationship "has been steadily improving since the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan last October" and that "continued normalisation of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes".

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh asked when would the Minister and “his boss” Prime Minister Narendra Modi “going to take the people of India into confidence and hold a detailed debate” on China in Parliament, as demanded by the party since 2020.

“Congress hopes that the PM will finally agree to such a discussion and break the five-year drought in the forthcoming Monsoon Session,” he said.

If the Parliament could debate the border situation in November 1962 when the Chinese invasion was at its peak, he asked, “why cannot we discuss now – especially given that both sides appear to want renormalisation (albeit without necessarily restoring the May 2020 status quo on the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh)?”

Emphasising that it was perhaps time to remind Jaishankar of recent developments since Modi's meeting with President Xi, he said, “China gave total support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, turning it into a testing ground for network-centric warfare and weapon systems such as the J-10C fighter and PL-15E air-to-air missile and assorted drones.”

In the statement, he recalled Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh's statement that India fought three adversaries during Operation Sindoor, including China that gave Pakistan “live inputs” on Indian military operations and added that Pakistan is likely to acquire Chinese J-35 stealth fighters in the near future.

He also referred to China restricting exports to India of critical materials like rare-earth magnets, speciality fertilisers, and tunnel-boring machines for infrastructure projects. Important sectors like telecoms, pharmaceuticals, and electronics remain critically dependent on Chinese imports, even as the trade deficit with China reaches a record USD 99.2 billion, he said.

He said hundreds of Chinese workers have departed from India’s Foxconn facilities, potentially impeding India’s attempt to become an alternative global supplier of Apple smart phones.

Indian patrols continue to require Chinese concurrence to reach their patrolling points in Depsang, Demchok, and Chumar and 'buffer zones' in Galwan, Hot Spring, and Pangong Tso lie predominantly within the Indian claim line, preventing our troops from accessing points to which they had unrestricted access before April 2020, he added.