Shiv Sena questions Centre over thaw in trade ties with China

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The Shiv Sena on Thursday slammed the Centre saying that on the one hand it called for a boycott of Chinese products and banned some apps of that country after the border standoff, on the other hand the neighbouring country emerged as India’s top trading partner in 2020.

The party also said that while the government is once again laying a red carpet for Chinese firms, it should not forget that China is an “untrustworthy and unreliable” neighbour.

“The border tension between India and China de- escalated last week. The tension in trade ties between the two countries also looks set to reduce. There is a possibility that 45 Chinese companies will be given permission to work in India. In short, the tough stand taken by the Modi government after the COVID-19 outbreak towards the Chinese companies and their investment seems to be easing,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

Politics and diplomatic relations with other countries keep changing as per the circumstances, it said.

“But is it a just coincidence that the Centre has softened its stand towards the Chinese trade after the de- escalation of tension on the border?” it asked.

Over the last eight months, the border conflict had turned severe. After the Chineseaggression, fierce conflict in the Galwan Valley, India and China reached an agreement on disengagement in eastern Ladakh last week. But soon after that it emerged that the trade ties between the two countries are thawing, it said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-party said that China is the most “unreliable and untrustworthy” neighbour and though it has taken a soft stand on the border for its trade, it can again start its troublesome actions on the border once its purpose is achieved.

Last year, India banned 59 Chinese apps including Tik-Tok. Some trade agreements with China were cancelled, curbs were imposed on the Chinese investment in India and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and nationalism were promoted, it said.

“The Modi government blew its trumpet about how they blocked China…So what exactly happened in the last eight months that red carpet is being laid for 45 Chinese firms now?” it asked.

Citing the provisional data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Sena said it is a fact that China has returned as the top trade partner of India in 2020.

“So after the ministry’s data, it is now clear that big balloons filled with nationalistic air about banning Chinese products, apps, call for Swadeshi, have now burst,” the editorial said.

“In a nutshell, as soon as China pulls back from the border, our government gives it a go-ahead (to do business in India). But the Centre should not forget that China is an untrustworthy neighbour,” the Sena said.