External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has asserted that the United States has adopted India’s long-standing diplomatic approach of strategic autonomy by managing a diverse network of international partnerships simultaneously.
Speaking at an event organised by the Asia Society in New York on Monday alongside Daniel Russel, a former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the External Affairs Minister noted a distinct shift in Washington’s foreign policy posture.
Describing the current diplomatic landscape, he stated, “Pretty much what people used to say about us, Washington is today practising with a great deal of gusto,” adding, “You’re dealing with China, you’re dealing with Russia, with Ukraine, with other parts of Asia or with Europe.” Reflecting on this evolving diplomatic reality, he observed, “So actually, Washington was doing what India had practised.”
The External Affairs Minister emphasised that this broader shift signifies a major transition in global affairs. “Once Washington takes the lead on that, it becomes, in a way, a kind of a global question. That’s the reality,” he stated.
Reflecting on past diplomatic expectations, he recalled, “There was a time when, I would say, the narrative was, ‘You know we don’t like you having too many options because we want … you to focus your relationship on us’,” noting that this double standard persisted “even though the US, on its side, perhaps, kept more of its options on that because it’s a global power.”
Marking the end of such diplomatic constraints, Jaishankar declared, “Today the pretence has dropped for everybody,” and added, “Everybody is openly dealing with everybody else.” Highlighting the structural evolution of international relations, he affirmed, “And that is how we are heading towards a multipolar world.”
Revisiting the chewing gum metaphor, he added, “Everybody is going to be chewing it,” explaining that nations are increasingly driven by pragmatic objectives where “Everybody is actually going to get the best deal that they can out of a given situation from a much more sharper definition of their interest.”
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