Dr. Jaishankar Interview with South Korean Diplomat at @HT 27-Mar-2025Permalink

These reflect the main themes and concepts discussed between Ambassador Kang, Minister Jaishankar, and the audience

Important QuestionsPermalink

These questions cover a range of topics including geopolitics, trade policy, India-China relations, technology, climate change, regional alliances, and long-term national strategy.

From Ambassador Kang to Minister Jaishankar:Permalink

• “As a country that has held to this position of non-alignment as a core positioning of your foreign policy, does it feel like a paradigm shift moment to you, or is that appropriate for you?”
• “Looking at the Asian continent overall, what does this mean—that churn of the foundation of geopolitics—for Asia? How is Asia going to evolve?”
• “How do you see this unfolding [the trade agreement with the United States], and does this mean a fundamental shift in India’s trade policy toward openness rather than the traditional ‘protect my industry’ kind of position?”
• “The relationship between the United States and Russia has taken a dramatic turn, so has that tension [regarding India’s defense cooperation with Russia] now been eased?”
• “The world has changed rather dramatically since then [your speech at Asia Society last year]. Has that idea of a multipolar world, multipolar Asia, crystallized, become more concrete, changed? How many poles are you talking about?”
• “How do you see this key bilateral relationship [India-China] unfolding under this geopolitical context of churn, and how does India exercise its tremendous agency to lead in a way that strengthens the peace and dynamics for peace and co-prosperity in Asia and the world?”

Audience QuestionsPermalink

• “In terms of trust framework, from the technology point of view, how do you see this framework going ahead, and also addressing the key issues of workforce migration?”
• “We’ve seen significant regional integration in the last couple of years—trade integration—and a lot of organizations have sort of called out the potential on regional commitments and integration for climate change. Is that really something that you see as a potential in today’s world?”
• “Given the fact that in the Indo-Pacific challenges keep increasing, there are these mullings that there’ll be a ‘Squad’ strategic alliance. Would India be willing to join the Squad?”
• “During this process [of changing supply chains], what is the best way investment flows and the entrepreneurs should be thinking about to deal with the massive marketism that’s still going on and probably unstoppable?”
• “How do we protect ourselves [Indian farmers] in the light of the coming trade negotiations [with the US], especially considering the large subsidy entitlements of the US and their ability to focus subsidies on single products?”
• “Does India have a 50-year strategy, and what are the most driving forces to thematically shape them?”

Key terms and Phrases from the InterviewPermalink

Geopolitical and International Relations Terms:Permalink

1. Paradigm Shift - Refers to a fundamental change in the global order or approach to international relations.
2. Geopolitical Churn - Describes a period of deep, transformative change in geopolitics, beyond superficial shifts.
3. Non-Alignment - India’s traditional foreign policy stance of not formally aligning with any major power bloc.
4. Multipolar World - A global order with multiple centers of power rather than one or two dominant countries.
5. Multipolar Asia - The idea of Asia having multiple influential powers, reflecting its diversity.
6. Global Order - The structure of international relations, rules, and practices, often underwritten by the United States historically.
7. Treaty Ally - Nations with formal defense agreements, such as South Korea and Japan with the US.
8. Rise of China - The increasing economic, political, and military influence of China globally and in Asia.
9. Russia-Ukraine Conflict - A significant interstate conflict impacting global dynamics.
10. Indo-Pacific - A strategic region encompassing the Indian and Pacific Oceans, often tied to security discussions.
11. Quad - A strategic dialogue between the US, India, Japan, and Australia (mistakenly referred to as “Squad” by an audience member).
12. Bilateral Relations - Direct relationships between two countries, notably India-China and India-US.
13. Rebalancing - The shifting of economic and political weight among nations or regions.

Trade and Economic Terms:Permalink

1. Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) - A trade deal between two countries, such as the one proposed between India and the US.
2. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) - A broader trade pact reducing barriers, contrasted with the BTA.
3. RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) - A trade agreement India opted out of to protect its industries.
4. Supply Chain - The network of production and distribution, impacted by geopolitics and trade policies.
5. Tariff Wars - Competitive imposition of tariffs to protect domestic economies.
6. Export Controls - Restrictions on exporting sensitive goods, especially technology.
7. Industrial Policy - Government strategies to bolster domestic industries.
8. Market Distortion - Unfair trade practices like subsidies that skew competition.
9. Rules of Origin - Criteria determining the national source of a product in trade agreements.
10. Hollowing Out - The decline of industrial capacity due to external competition.
11. Subsidies - Government financial support to industries, a point of contention in trade talks (e.g., US agriculture).

Technology and Innovation Terms:Permalink

1. AI (Artificial Intelligence) - Highlighted as a key issue of the day in technological competition.
2. Big Tech - Large technology companies critical to global economic and geopolitical strategies.
3. Technology Competition - The race among nations to dominate emerging technologies.
4. Trusted Partners/Vendors - Reliable collaborators in tech supply chains, tied to national security.
5. Talent Flows - The movement of skilled workers, crucial for tech industries.
6. National Security Filter - Restrictions on tech cooperation based on security concerns.
7. Trade and Technology Council - A mechanism (e.g., with Europe) to manage tech and talent collaboration.

Energy and Resources Terms:Permalink

1. Energy Flows - The global movement of energy resources, critical for countries like India.
2. LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) - A specific energy import from the US to India.
3. Resource Fight - Competition over scarce resources amid geopolitical tensions.

Defense and Security Terms:Permalink

1. Defense Partnership - Cooperation in military technology and platforms, notably with the US.
2. De-escalation/Disengagement - Steps to reduce tensions, specifically in the India-China border context.
3. Peace and Tranquility - A desired state in border areas, disrupted in the 2020 India-China clash.

Climate and Regional Cooperation Terms:Permalink

1. Climate Action - Efforts to address climate change, proposed at regional and international levels.
2. Regional Integration - Collaborative efforts among neighboring countries, e.g., for trade or climate.
3. International Solar Alliance - An India-initiated global effort for solar energy adoption.
4. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure - A global initiative for climate-resilient infrastructure.
5. Global Biofuels Alliance - Another India-led effort for sustainable energy.
6. BIMSTEC - Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, a regional grouping.

Policy and Strategy Terms:Permalink

1. MAGA (Make America Great Again) - President Trump’s agenda influencing US foreign policy.
2. Pragmatic Approach - India’s flexible, practical response to geopolitical changes.
3. Differences Should Not Become Disputes - A principle for managing India-China relations.
4. Competition Should Not Become Conflict - Another guiding concept for diplomacy.
5. 2047 Strategy - India’s long-term vision tied to its 100th year of independence.

Miscellaneous Terms:Permalink

1. Churn - Repeated as a metaphor for deep, foundational change.
2. Asian Century - The idea of Asia dominating global influence in the 21st century.
3. Dynamism - The active, evolving nature of Asia’s role in the world.
4. Agency - India’s capacity to influence regional and global outcomes.

Minister S. Jaishankar’s Key StatmentPermalink

He is world famous for putting his point across and making global headling from his statements. Here are some noteworthy statements from Minister S. Jaishankar during the interview, as extracted from the transcript. These statements reflect his insights on geopolitics, India’s foreign policy, trade, technology, and bilateral relations, offering a window into his strategic thinking and India’s positioning in a changing global landscape:

• “Something very fundamental is shifting in the world order… The United States, which has been for the last 80 years the most powerful country and the biggest economy… if the United States starts to change its terms of dealing with the world, it is actually the foundation of the order which is shifting.”
• “The world will never be the same again… there is something very deep, very profound, very consequential which is happening right now.”
• “The shift in the American position is a much more fundamental happening than the Russia-Ukraine conflict… the rise of China has driven or fed into the shift in American attitudes.”
• “The diversity of Asia does not allow me to give you a single uniform answer… each part of the world would be gauging this foundational shift from its particular relationship to the foundation.”
• “A multipolar world is the norm… inherently the world should be multipolar because if you have 200 odd countries, surely it cannot be that one country or two countries have the right or the ability to control the 190 odd countries.”
• “If any part of the world should be multipolar, it should start with Asia… Asia is even the most diverse continent.”
• “Differences should not become disputes, and competition should not become conflict… we can defer on many issues, we do compete on many issues, but because we compete doesn’t mean there should be a conflict between us.”
• “What happened in 2020 [India-China clash] was not the way to address those issues… we don’t think this period serves the interest of either India or China.”
• “From October of last year, the relationship has seen some improvement… we are trying step by step to rebuild, undo some of the damage which happened as a result of their actions in 2020.”
• “We did not sign RCEP… we continuously sought protections and safeguards because we had apprehensions about a surge of imports spurred by non-market and subsidy support… today there’s a much stronger consensus that not joining RCEP was a wise decision.”
• “The Prime Minister and the President agreed that we would conclude a bilateral trade agreement by fall this year… it’s not a free trade agreement but a bilateral trade agreement.”
• “We are today struggling with some very serious adverse trade balances… there are deep concerns in this country about the hollowing out of our industrial capacity.”
• “It was the United States which cut off India in 1965… if they didn’t want to sell it to us, that cannot then become a complaint against us.”
• “We saw a president [Trump] who was much more open and active in terms of building a security defense partnership… we certainly expect a more substantial, higher quality defense relationship as a result.”
• “There is a very sharp polarization in the tech world… we are going to see a very strong national security filter which countries are going to put in terms of who they do business with.”
• “Big tech recognizes the importance of mobility and talent flows and the importance of partnerships… how do you create reliable supply chains, trusted vendors, trusted partners?”
• “There is a lot of room for international initiatives [on climate]… I would put climate action as an agenda point for regional groupings because today it’s important enough.”
• “Today a government which thinks in terms of 2047… can we set strategies and goals and targets for where we would be in 2047?”
• “Part of where we have come up short has been we neglected manufacturing… how do you remedy that? Put new objectives and new conditions in place.”
• “We are happy with the Quad.”