#BoycottChinaProducts a Damp Squib; Chinese Products Register Record Sales in India This Year!

State sponsored media from Beijing, China has declared their emphatic victory over #BoycottChinese campaign unleashed on social media in India. They have said that despite protests against them, Chinese goods witnessed record sales in India this festive season.

In their opinion on the issue, the Chinese media has pointed out Xiaomi for their record breaking sales of 0.5 million handsets within few days of the festive sales on various online platforms.

The Chinese media said: “.. encouragement to boycott Chinese goods has been spreading in the last few days on Indian social media, and even a few Indian politicians are exaggerating facts”, adding, “The boycott has not achieved success. Sales figures for Chinese products on the top three Indian online retailers in the first week of October hit a new record.”

As per a commentary published by Global Times, which is a nationalist tabloid published by the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, the protests and boycott failed because Indian Government didn’t support them anti-Chinese campaign, and their goods “are popular across the nation.”

We had earlier reported that Assam CM has publically called for boycotting Chinese products in the state, and a local Bihar village court has banned sales of all Chinese products in their 10,000 people strong village. Besides these two declarations of banning, there was no official statement from the Govt.

After China’s decision to support Pakistan after their cowardly attack in Kashmir, and their stand on supporting Maulana Masood Azhar, leader of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed active in Kashmir, social media in India had erupted in anti-Chinese protests and calls for boycotting Chinese products across India was shared.

Beijing has also obstructed India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, (NSG), and have stopped an important tributary of Brahmaputra river which will impact farmers from Assa.

Chinese Media ‘Advises’ India On Economic Reforms & Improving Trade Deficit

Besides declaring their victory in terms of selling record Chinese goods, despite protests, the editorial written by various Chinese experts on business and economics has ‘advised’ India to undergo economic reforms, and have asked Indian Govt. to reduce trade deficit.

On one hand they lauded the fact that investment by Chinese companies in India has increased 6 times to reach $870 million in 2015, Chinese experts are vary of the fact that trade deficit is increasing at an alarming rate.

The commentary said: “The huge trade deficit with China has become an increasingly unharmonious factor in bilateral ties between the two countries, requiring China and India to take practical measures to narrow the trade imbalance when leaders of the two nations meet in India over the weekend for the BRICS summit”

While India imported goods worth $5.4 billion from China, they exported goods worth $922 million. This difference between export and import is called trade deficit, and such a huge gap is considered bad as per economists.

The opinion published by Chinese media also warned India that such disruptions via protests and calls for boycotting Chinese goods can be bad for bilateral ties between the countries, besides further deteriorating trade deficit.

Last month, another article published in a ‘nationalist’ Chinese publication supported by Chinese Govt. had expressed their fears and apprehensions on rising ‘Make in India’ effect, and the fact that leading manufacturers are leaving China and coming to India for their business.

Their latest opinion on #BoycottChinese clearly showcases their insecurity vis-a-vis India, and how desperately they want to do business with Indians.

But can political standing and views affect business ties between India and China? And more importantly, should diplomacy dictate economics between nations?

Do share your views by commenting right here!

Here is something to think about…

Sources: 1, 2, 3