NEW DELHI: There are no permanent friends or enemies in international relations, only permanent interests, defence minister Rajnath Singh stressed on Saturday, amid the tariff tension with US and the thaw in India-China relations.India will “never compromise with its fundamental interests and principles”, and will remain steadfast on its policies and self-reliance drive to preserve its strategic autonomy and emerge stronger “despite any global pressure”, Singh said, in an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on New Delhi.The minister’s remarks, which did not name the US directly, came even as PM Modi reached China on Saturday to attend the SCO summit.‘The more pressure is put on India, the more it’ll emerge as strong rock’ PM Modi reached China on Saturday to attend the SCO summit, where he is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with the Chinese and Russian Presidents, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, respectively. “India does not consider anyone its enemy. But for us, the interests of our people, our farmers, our small traders are paramount. We cannot compromise on our country’s welfare at any cost. No matter how much pressure is exerted, India will continue to give the highest priority to the interests of its farmers, small businessmen, shopkeepers, livestock keepers, and common citizens,” Rajnath Singh said, speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit.“We all study in geography that the more pressure is applied, the stronger the rock becomes. I feel that the more pressure is put on India, the more it will emerge as a strong rock,” he added. Amid ongoing geopolitical churn and disruption, Singh said “a kind of protectionism” has been seen from the “so-called developed countries”, with “trade and tariff wars” becoming increasingly serious. Referring to Edmund Burke’s calling the British East India Company as “a state in the guise of a merchant”, he said the description can be changed to “a merchant in the guise of a state” in the current circumstances. Noting that the world and technology is changing rapidly, with new challenges emerging in the form of pandemics, terrorism and regional conflicts, Singh said self-reliance is not just an option or an advantage but a strategic necessity essential for India’s survival and progress. “Today’s shifting geopolitics has also made it clear that external dependency in the field of defence is no longer an option for us. In the current situation, self-reliance is essential for both our economy and our security,” he said.“Under PM Modi’s leadership, our govt has always believed that it is only through ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat‘ that we can strengthen our strategic autonomy. This very approach will keep us secure in the times to come and also secure us a leading position among the world’s emerging powers,” he added. Hailing Operation Sindoor as a shining example of India’s growing indigenous defence capabilities, he said, “It may appear to be a story of a war of a few days, of India’s victory and Pakistan’s defeat, but years of strategic preparation and defence preparedness were behind it.“