India G20 Presidency : India’s decisions that have passed on a stern message to China
India G20 Presidency: There are many issues where India and China have been giving each other cold shoulders. India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has himself stated publicly that the relations between the two countries are strained and “not normal”. China’s actions have consistently posed direct or indirect threats to India’s national security, whether it is claiming large parts of Ladakh and the north-east as its own territory, defending terrorists like Masood Azhar diplomatically or the 2020 Galwan clash. Understanding the need to push back the Chinese aggression, India has used the G20 summit as an opportunity to show its hand. Here are some decisions of India’s G20 Presidency that have passed on a stern message to China:
Hosting G20 Summits in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh
India has specifically aimed at taking the G20 meetings outside of New Delhi to other parts of the country. When India released a list of different locations where the meetings would be held, finding Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh on this list came as a surprise to many. China claims these places to be a part of China’s South Tibet region and was unnerved as India invited politicians and diplomats from over the world to explore these places during the summits. This was India’s clear message to China which says that these places are an integral part of India, and no interference from the Chinese end will be tolerated. As a response, Chinese diplomats did not attend the meeting held in Arunachal Pradesh.
Inviting Dalai Lama in G20
Dalai Lama is a revered leader of the Tibetan people and represents the deep-rooted Tibetan culture that calls Tibet a sovereign nation that is occupied by China. India has decided to invite Dalai Lama to the Ladakh Summit to spread awareness about the Buddhist religion, culture and its values. While China was expectedly displeased by this decision, India passed them a subtle message that shows that India is willing to explore this option should China continue to show aggression at the LAC border.
