Seen Lessons In "Challenging Neighbour" China's Growth: S Jaishankar

To a question whether China has become indispensable to economic calculations, Mr Jaishankar said the Chinese have a salience in the global economy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that in many ways China is a "challenging neighbour" for India and that he has always seen lessons from that country's growth. Speaking at the India Economic Conclave, he also described as "sensible" the recent agreement between the directors-general of military operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. "We always wanted normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. Everybody knows what that means. If there are trends in that direction, of course, I would welcome it," he said. Asked during the interaction on whether India will engage with the Taliban, Mr Jaishankar noted that it would like to clearly see a sovereign democratic and inclusive Afghanistan that takes into account the interests of its minorities.