Autonomy not just sitting on the fence

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made some interesting remarks on Sino-Indian relations on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly during an event hosted by a think tank in New York.

He correctly pointed out that the two neighbors' relationship is "key to the future of Asia". But in saying that, the top Indian diplomat was not trying to present a rational analysis of how the two countries should responsibly manage their relations, but instead trying to justify New Delhi's sit-on-the-fence balancing act.

In response to China's rise, New Delhi has aligned more closely with Washington, joining the Quad, the United States-led security bloc that also includes Australia and Japan. At the same time, it is also a member of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, groupings that include China and Russia.