Jaishankar says China ties better, US trade deal could lift relations

A set of diplomatic, political and economic developments unfolded across India, the US and South Asia on Tuesday, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar saying India’s ties with China are "better" than they were a couple of years ago and that a trade agreement with the US could contribute to "better" bilateral relations. He also said a lack of understanding of India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism affects ties with its partners.

Elsewhere, Pakistan’s information minister urged Afghanistan’s interim administration to move out of a "militant mindset", US President Donald Trump announced an Essar-backed steel investment in America, and the FBI placed gangster Goldy Brar on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. In Nepal, India’s outgoing envoy held a farewell meeting with Prime Minister Balendra Shah as the country also dealt with rain-related deaths and planned winter power imports from India, while Sri Lanka announced a diesel subsidy and a court again remanded opposition leader Namal Rajapaksa.

Speaking in New York, Jaishankar said India-China ties are "better" today than they were a couple of years ago, and underlined that as the border issues are resolved, the relationship returns to normalcy. On India-US ties, he said a trade agreement, if concluded, would contribute to "better" bilateral relations, while adding that expectations of rapid progress in negotiations had been "tested" against a much more complex ground reality.

Jaishankar also said terrorism emanating from India’s neighbour is one of the country’s primary concerns and that if this is not fully appreciated by New Delhi’s partners, it affects bilateral ties. The remarks were seen as referring to India-US relations amid an upswing in Washington-Islamabad ties.

In Islamabad, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Afghanistan’s interim government should move out of its "militant mindset" amid strained ties between the two countries. In Washington, Trump announced Essar-backed Mesabi Metallics’ USD 18 billion investment to build a fully integrated American steel company, including what he described as the "largest steel plant in American history" in Iowa.

The FBI said it had added Satinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and announced a reward of USD one million for information leading to his arrest. In Kathmandu, India’s outgoing envoy to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, discussed bilateral relations and mutual cooperation with Prime Minister Balendra Shah in a farewell meeting.

Nepal also reported that at least 27 people have been killed in rain-induced disasters across the country since September 24. The country is planning to import up to 1,100 MW of electricity from India during the coming dry season to meet peak domestic demand after flash floods, landslides and heavy monsoon rain damaged hydropower projects and temporarily reduced generation capacity.

In Colombo, the Sri Lankan government said it would provide a retail price subsidy on diesel, which is widely used for public transport and commercial and industrial purposes, to ease economic difficulties arising from tensions in West Asia. A Sri Lankan court also remanded opposition leader Namal Rajapaksa until October 13, the third such order since his arrest on September 4 in a separate corruption case.

Overall, the developments covered India’s external relations with China and the US, security concerns linked to cross-border terrorism, regional tensions in South Asia, and fresh political and economic decisions in Nepal, Sri Lanka and the United States.

With PTI Inputs

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