Essential to build national consensus on critical security, economic challenges arising from China: Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh
on Tuesday criticised External Affairs Minister
S. Jaishankar
over his remarks on the India-China bilateral relationship steadily improving, claiming that China gave support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, turning it into a testing ground for network-centric warfare and weapon systems.
In an official statement, Ramesh, who is also the Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, said that China has also restricted exports to India of critical materials like rare-earth magnets, speciality fertilisers, and tunnel-boring machines for infrastructure projects.
He further emphasised the significance of building 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.
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"In his 14 July, 2025, meeting with China's Vice President Han Zheng, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated 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.' 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, the PL-15E air-to-air missile and assorted drones. Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Rahul R. Singh has stated that India fought three adversaries in Sindoor, including China, which gave Pakistan 'live inputs,' i.e., real-time intelligence on Indian military operations. Pakistan is likely to acquire Chinese J-35 stealth fighters in the near future," Ramesh said in an official statement.
He called for a detailed debate on China in Parliament, saying, "When are the EAM and his boss, the PM, going to take the people of India into confidence and hold a detailed debate on China in Parliament--as the Indian National Congress has been calling for since 2020? The INC hopes that the Prime Minister will finally agree to such a discussion and break the five-year drought in the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. If the Parliament could debate the border situation in November 1962 when the Chinese invasion was at its peak, why cannot we discuss it now--especially given that both sides appear to want normalisation (albeit without necessarily restoring the May 2020 status quo on the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh)?"
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Ramesh pointed out that India's telecoms, pharmaceuticals, and electronics sector remain critically dependent on critical materials.
"China has restricted 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 $99.2 billion. Hundreds of Chinese workers have departed from India's Foxconn facilities, potentially impeding India's attempt to become an alternative global supplier of Apple smartphones," he added.
"Indian patrols continue to require Chinese concurrence to reach their patrolling points in Depsang, Demchok, and Chumar. "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. Of course this kowtowing to China is unsurprising given the EAM's beliefs, infamously voiced two years ago in an interview: "Look, they are the bigger economy," the Congress MP stated.
"What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, am I going to pick up a fight with the bigger economy?" His boss, the Prime Minister of the laal ankh, had similarly given a public clean chit to the Chinese with his statement of June 19, 2020, when he said, "Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai"--a blatant lie that the Chinese used globally to cover up their infringement of Indian territory and which hurt our negotiating power immensely," he further stated.
"It is 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 Congress Rajya Sabha MP noted.
This comes after EAM S. Jaishankar met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Monday and noted the improvement in bilateral ties. Jaishankar expressed confidence that discussions during his visit will maintain that positive trajectory. He expressed India's support for China's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Presidency.
Jaishankar is on an official visit to China to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting. On Monday, Jaishankar held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and spoke about the need for a far-seeing approach to bilateral ties and building a stable and constructive relationship.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, along with fellow Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers, also called on Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday. During the meeting, Jaishankar apprised Xi of the recent development of bilateral ties.
Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
to Xi Jinping.
In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Called on President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing along with my fellow SCO Foreign Ministers. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister @narendramodi. Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard."
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