China Called India’s Foreign Minister a ‘Problem’ as Part of Political Maneuvering Amid Border Tensions: Experts

NEW DELHI—China’s state media recently targeted India’s Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, calling him a “problem” in India–China relations, in response to Jaishankar’s recent comments about Beijing. As India and China look to the BRICS summit in Kazan on Oct. 22, analysts say the criticism can be viewed from more than one perspective: as a defensive response to Jaishankar’s forthright public criticism of China, or as part of a “strategic narrative” aiming to further China’s interests overall. Originally an association of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS expanded in 2010 to include South Africa and last year opened its doors to the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, and has a long waiting list of countries. India’s tense relationship with China, as the two giant nations work to resolve ongoing border disputes, is sure to be a focus at the upcoming summit....