China a major concern than Pakistan, says Salman Khurshid

On Board Special Aircraft: India on Sunday said China was a "major concern" than Pakistan given the power it has to impact the country in various spheres. Noting that China was necessarily more important in terms of India's global vision and the ties between the two countries can impact the region, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, in an interview to PTI, said as far as Pakistan was concerned, the impact was "more pacific".

He was replying to queries on which was a bigger challenge for India, territorial dispute with China or trust deficit with Pakistan.

"China is necessarily more important in terms of our global vision. In terms of economics. In terms of stability and impact of stability that our friendship and understanding can have on Asia and South Asia. As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is more pacific."

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the ties between India and China can impact the region.

"China is part of a larger picture and Pakistan being part of that picture.... significant part of the picture and can ruin that picture if Pakistan does not have right colour.

"But it is much larger canvas and picture we are dealing with as far as China is concerned. China we engage multilaterally everywhere. China can be a very very important partner in both in Asia and Africa and elsewhere. China will play a significant role in what we want to do in the UN," said the minister, who was on way back from Myanmar after a three-day visit.

He further said, "China is also a constant reminder to us that we got to put our economy at the right track. We can pretend that China is not there. But China is there and unless we put our economy on the right track it is going to overwhelm us completely.

"So China is a major concern and Pakistan, in a significant way (is a concern) but not a major concern.

"Because Pakistan has the ability to ruin the game for us therefore we have to keep Pakistan also in focus.....," the minister said.

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