Difficult for China, Pak to change their approach towards India: Security experts

Retorting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mention of India's relations with China and Pakistan, security and defence experts on Wednesday said the reference made by the former with regard to New Delhi's ties with the two nations was positive but added it is difficult for them to leave their old approach.

Security Analyst Major General (Retd.) Dhruv C. Katoch told ANI China on one hand considers India as its junior player while Pakistan which is propelling terror on the other hand won't quit its habit so easily.

"This is a very positive statement. But it is not possible for China to leave its old approach where it considers India as its junior player in the geopolitics," said Major General (Retd.) Katoch.

"Pakistan should stop supporting terrorism if it wants dialogue to begin. Again there is no denial that it is a very positive statement by PM. But Pakistan may not be able to stop supporting terrorist groups," he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Pankaj Jha, Director (Research), Indian Council of World Affairs, said if the relations between New Delhi and Beijing flourish then it will prove profitable for both nations.

"The progress of India and China is an opportunity for the two countries. The issue of China resisting India's entry into the NSG will be resolved as China will have to understand the economic benefits to it from the same," said Dr Jha.

Lambasting Pakistan for the prolonged proxy war, Jha added, "Pakistan's state policy of proxy war has ruined everything, otherwise growing India is an opportunity."

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar earlier in the day said terrorism remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to international security.

Addressing the second day of the Raisina Dialogue here, Jaishankar said developing a serious global response is of the highest priority.

In an indirect attack on Pakistan, he said that SAARC was ineffective due to the insecurity of one nation.

Asserting that New Delhi will invest more energy to boost Indo-China ties, Jaishankar also said the two nations should not lose sight of the strategic nature of their engagement in the wake of differences on certain political issues.

"With China, the overall broadening of ties, especially in business and people-to-people contacts, has been overshadowed by differences on certain political issues. But it is important for the two countries not to lose sight of the strategic nature of their engagement, or falter in their conviction that their rise can be mutually supportive. We will continue to invest more energy into this account in 2017," Jaishankar said.

The Foreign Secretary's assertion came a day after Prime Minister Modi said Pakistan must walk away from terrorism if it wants dialogue with India as New Delhi alone cannot walk the path of peace.

Addressing the second edition of Raisina Dialogue last evening, he said the world is going through profound changes and non-state actors are major contributors to spread of challenges faced by the world.

Prime Minister Modi said India believes in de-linking terrorism from religion and rejecting artificial distinctions between good and bad terrorism.