‘No word of trust in world, only transactions’: Former ambassador Gurjit Singh

Gurjit Singh that China still remains the largest trade partner for India, with the US in second place.

New Delhi: Gurjit Singh, former Indian ambassador to Germany, on Saturday (May 7), said that there is no word of trust in the world, adding that it’s all about transactions that are taking place in the present. 

Speaking at Zee Media’s Learning XP platform, Singh also said that economies forget what one has done in the past for their betterment. “What you do now matters the most,” he added. 

While speaking on India-China relations, he said that China still remains the largest trade partner for India, with the US in second place. It is important to note that in the first quarter of 2022, India’s bilateral trade with China soared 15% year-on-year to a record $31.96 billion, according to the data released by China. 

India’s imports jumped 28% from the first quarter of 2021 to $27.69 billion. Whereas, the exports slumped 26% to $4.87 billion, signalling an increased dependence on Chinese goods. 

On India’s role in handling the economic crises in South Asia, Singh said that the nation should carry the weight of neighbouring nations, barring Pakistan. However, he pointed out that even though friendship comes at a cost, the government shouldn’t go overboard when it comes to helping out nations in economic crises. “If we need to counter China, we have to bear the financial costs,” he added. Also Read: NPS investors can now set up SIPs in post office, here’s how to do it in simple steps online

On India-Pakistan relations, he said that India’s issues with the neighbouring nation can be sorted only if there is a military rule in Pakistan. He said that India’s relations with Pakistan were better under military rules under Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf. Also Read: China does more, India does better, says former ambassador Gurjit Singh on investments in Africa