Khurshid: India, China won’t rush to resolve border issues

India and China will not rush to resolve differences over their contested border even as there has been steady progress in the overall relationship, said External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. ‘I think we have constantly, if not rapidly, made progress. I feel there is no reason why we should continue to feel a sense of alarm or discomfort.

‘But it helps to remain cautious and vigilant and careful. Because it is not a relationship that has finally overcome the difficult issues that caused us to actually come into a confrontation,’ Khurshid said in an interview with The Straits Times published on Friday.

On South-East Asia, Khurshid said India was not looking for a military base in the region but would focus on deepening strategic ties, even as its Look East policy extends to the Pacific. ‘We are not a country that subscribes to policing any part of the world. The areas we are comfortable with are capacity building, intelligence sharing etc’, he added.