'China's Loss Not India's': Union Minister Jitendra Singh As Beijing Skips G20 Meet In Srinagar

Delegates from all G20 countries, with the exception of China, arrived in Srinagar on Monday for the third G20 tourism working group meeting.

File Photo: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

China's absence from the G20 meeting in Srinagar makes no difference, and it is their loss, not India's, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday. Delegates from all G20 countries, with the exception of China, arrived in Srinagar on Monday for the third G20 tourism working group meeting.

"That (China not attending the meeting) does not make any difference. China not coming is China's loss, not India's," Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI on the sidelines of the G20 meet in Srinagar.

When asked if Beijing's absence was related to the eastern Ladakh border standoff, Singh said the Ministry of External Affairs would make a decision. Regarding the G20 meeting in Kashmir, Singh stated that different venues will give delegates an idea of the places they will visit.

"We are not a small, homogeneous nation like some countries in Europe. We are a diverse country," the Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office added.

When asked about Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir, the minister stated that the general public has moved on.

"What is most important is that the common man has moved on. If you talked to a man on the streets in Srinagar, he may not talk freely. But with decisive action against terror, the veil of fear is being lifted," he added.

A day earlier, Singh stated that Kashmir has changed and that "ordinary people on the streets of Srinagar want to move on." They have lost two generations as a result of militancy."

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that the importance of holding the G20 meeting in Srinagar stems from the city's unusual blend of traditional heritage and modern infrastructure with cutting-edge technology. Addressing the inaugural session of the G20 countries' third tourism working group meeting at the SKICC here, Singh, the minister of state in the prime minister's office, said India is ready to share global responsibility in terms of its obligations to the economy, environment, and society.

"Today, when we meet in the scenic spot of Srinagar, we have this deep realisation within us that we are all a part of the global world, and India, under the prime ministership of Narendra Modi, is very cautious of that,” the MoS said. Singh further said India’s challenges, concerns, and benchmarks were global, and its growth also has to be global.