Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that if China ‘misbehaves’ with India further, the government has the option to play the ‘Taiwan card’ and upgrade India’s level of contact with the island that China claims as its own.
Tharoor’s reaction came as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan amid strong reactions from China. Beijing announced military exercises and has warned against “playing with fire” as Pelosi became the first high-ranking elected US official to visit the island in 25 years.
Listen to what Congress leader @ShashiTharoor has to say about US House Speaker #NancyPelosi's #Taiwan visit, China's reaction and if India should send a delegation led by Speaker Om Birla to Taiwan. #ReporterDiary #Congress #China #Taiwan | (@Supriya23bh) pic.twitter.com/NV4aWNbjAi
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) August 3, 2022
“If at all China misbehaves with us, this is one of the cards we can also play to show that we are ready to upgrade our level of contact with Taiwan. The [external affairs] ministry should choose an appropriate time to play that card. Once you play the card, you can’t play it anymore,” Tharoor said, adding that sending a high-level official is an option that India should never rule out.
