COVID criticism made China 'harsh' towards the world, says Foreign Secretary Misri

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said that the blame and stigma China faced internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic hardened its attitude towards the outside world, and was also behind the strict lockdown it imposed on its own citizens.

Speaking at the Iqwat Global Business Conclave, an event organised by an association of Kashmiri Pandits, Mr. Misri said the pandemic had strained relations multilaterally and bilaterally, in part because the Chinese side believed it was being singled out for blame over the virus.

"COVID had already created a lot of stress multilaterally, internationally, but also bilaterally because the Chinese felt they were being stigmatised and were being blamed for COVID-19," he said.

The Foreign Secretary said India had never pointed fingers at China over the pandemic. Beijing, however, felt that the international community was determined to paint it in a poor light, he said.

"So they had a very harsh response and harsh attitude to the international community in general for a while," Mr. Misri said, adding that this was also the reason for what he described as a "draconian lockdown" that China imposed on its citizens for a considerable period.

His remarks touch on a period that reshaped India-China ties. In June 2020, soldiers of the two countries clashed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, the first time in decades that lives were lost along the Line of Actual Control. Twenty Indian soldiers died in the confrontation, and China later confirmed casualties on its side as well. The two neighbours subsequently held multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks and completed disengagement at several friction points along the border.

Mr. Misri, who was India's Ambassador to China at the time, recalled the Galwan clash as the most difficult challenge of his posting.

"For the first time in nearly 50 years, lives were lost on both sides at the Line of Actual Control," he said. "What made it particularly challenging was that it happened at the height of COVID-19, which imposed limitations on interactions, understanding domestic perceptions in China and travelling back to Delhi."

Travel during the pandemic was extraordinarily difficult, he said, describing how any trip out of China then required a long quarantine on return. "Anytime you flew out of China during COVID, returning meant a mandatory 21-day quarantine, 21 days of 'vanvaas' every time you visited Delhi for a day," he said.

He added that there was shock on both sides. "There was shock all around, even on the Chinese side, recognising that something very serious had happened."

On Operation Sindoor, Mr. Misri said it was encouraging to see how the entire government worked together. "We have not had too many instances where such a major, significant campaign involving so many important agencies of the government sees this kind of real-time coordination and activity," he said.

The Foreign Secretary also spoke about his Kashmiri Pandit roots, describing them as central to his career. "The Kashmiri DNA, the Kashmiriyat, everything that is bred in you, that you learn and absorb, has really been a very, very important part of my journey," he said. "This DNA of resilience is what I have seen in every member of the community."