China owes its progress to its leadership quality: S Jaishankar

Washington: China owes its progress mostly to its leadership quality, Indian Ambassador to the US S Jaishankar, who earlier had a diplomatic stint in Beijing, said on Tuesday.

Jaishankar made the remarks during his key note address at the Washington launch of the book - "Re-Imagining India-Unlocking the potential of Asia's next super power".

Jaishankar lauded China's leadership saying, "China, where I was till recently, to my mind, owes its progress most to its leadership quality. Not surprisingly, it has most serious leadership training programme today."

At the event organised jointly by McKinsey, Asia Society and the Brookings Institution, Jaishankar referring to the high turnout of voters in the general elections so far said this is possibly an indication that the book debates.

"If you look at what our political parties are doing, they are actually asking the voters to re-imagine India, locally, regionally or nationally," he said. "So whether it is the distribution of power or the nature of growth, vision or implementation, the material or intangible, this book represents much of today's internal Indian conversation.

The vote is still underway and the results are more than a fortnight away," he said. While praising the quality of leadership in China,

Jaishankar said in contrast, the USSR collapsed primarily due to loss of faith.

"Japan's stagnation was a mix of risk aversion and lack of imagination. Singapore, on the other hand, is an extraordinary story of vision and will power. As for the United States, it is all about openness and optimism; or occasionally, the lack of it," he said.

"When it comes to India, however, we are often told that our strengths are diversity and improvisation. The merits of the first are indisputable. But the downside of a 'plan B' culture is that its Commitment to 'plan A' is rarely as dedicated as it should be. The magnitude of challenges brought out by this volume leaves little doubt of the need for serious and sustained responses," the top Indian diplomat said.