Ramgarh: Reacting to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US, former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Friday said the United States and China may move towards forming a G-2 after India recently hosted the BRICS summit in New Delhi.Sinha arrived at Ramgarh district collectorate amid heavy rain and sat on dharna with former Ramgarh MLA Shankar Choudhary on Friday. They demanded the inquiry report into three industrial accidents at private factories that claimed nine lives, including three engineers, within five months.Sinha said President Donald Trump’s decision to break protocol and personally welcome Xi at the airport indicated a possible shift in global power dynamics.Sinha, also a former foreign minister, told TOI in Ramgarh that Xi’s US visit and Trump’s reception suggested Washington may be moving closer to Beijing.He said that though the BRICS summit hosted by India was being described as successful, India must frame a more effective foreign policy in view of changing global equations.“The BRICS summit is being termed successful, but success on paper is not enough. India needs a more proactive and effective foreign policy to protect its strategic interests,” he said.Sinha warned that a possible US-China G-2 would have serious implications for India and other developing economies.“If US and China come together, it will marginalize multilateral forums like BRICS. India must not become complacent,” he added.He said India should strengthen ties with Europe, Africa and Latin America while pushing for reforms in global institutions.“The world is moving towards new power blocs. India, which aspires to be a Vishwaguru, must lead from the front rather than react,” Sinha said.
