STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: Asserting that the country’s foreign policy should always be based on reciprocity, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday if China does not accept “one India” policy, New Delhi should reconsider support to Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy.
Asking why China should have a problem with any meeting in Jammu and Kashmir or any other part of India, the National Conference Vice President said if China continues with this stance, India should also raise questions on Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
“I think it’s extremely unfortunate that the government of India keeps repeating its (adherence to) One China policy yet for some reason, China doesn’t reciprocate.
“Our foreign policy should always be based on reciprocity. If China doesn’t accept a one India policy, then why should India accept One China policy,” Omar, a former Minister of State of External Affairs, said.
“It shouldn’t be one-sided that only China can raise questions about what happens in India and not vice versa. I believe that if China is going to continue to do this, then India must also revisit its One China policy,” he told reporters.
China, a G20 member, and Pakistan had objected to the decision to hold G20 events in Kashmir, which they call “disputed”. China also disputes India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh. India has consistently dismissed such claims by China and Pakistan.
When asked about the issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in an exclusive interview to PTI late last week said, “Such a question would be valid if we had refrained from conducting meetings in those venues. Ours is such a vast, beautiful and diverse nation.When G20 meetings are happening, isn’t it natural that meetings will be held in every part of our country.”
India held the third G-20 working group meeting on tourism for three days from May 22 in Srinagar. Delegates from all G20 countries, barring China, visited the picturesque Valley for the event. A large number of delegates had also visited Arunachal Pradesh in March for a G-20 event.
Dismissing Chinese claims, India had then said that it was free to hold meetings on its own territory.
By the time India’s G20 presidency term ends, Modi had said, over 220 meetings would have taken place across 60 cities in all 28 states and eight Union territories, and added that over one lakh participants from around 125 nationalities would witness the skills of Indians.