India can only 'bark' about trade deficit: Chinese media

It described Prime Minster Narendra Modi's pet project "Make in India" as "impractical".

Beijing, Oct 19 The call for boycott of Chinese goods on Indian social media is "rabble rousing" as Indian products cannot compete with those of China, the state-owned media said on Wednesday.

In an acerbic op-ed, Global Times launched a blitzkrieg of sort against India, saying New Delhi can only "bark" and do nothing about the growing trade deficit between two countries.

China's continued opposition to India's effort to declare Pakistan-based militants as international terrorists has angered many Indians who have called for a boycott of Chinese products.

It described Prime Minster Narendra Modi's pet project "Make in India" as "impractical".

The daily warned Chinese companies not to invest in India as it would be "suicidal" to put money in a country where corruption is high and the workforce is not hard working.

"There has been a lot of talk recently in the Indian media as well as on social media about boycotting Chinese products. It's just rabble rousing," it said.

"Indian manufacturing cannot compete at all with Chinese products, for various reasons."

The daily said that India was to yet build roads and highways and had chronic shortage of power and water supply.

"Worst of all, corruption is highly prevalent from top to bottom in every single government department."

It slammed India for courting the US.

"The US is no one's friend. The Americans are just indulging India in order to contain China, as the US is jealous of China's development and global power.

"India has enough money but the majority of it is concentrated with politicians, bureaucrats and a few crony capitalists. Indian elites don't want to spend funds available in the country, which in reality is the taxpayers' money but is utilized by the Indian establishment for its own personal consumption.

"Because of this, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started impractical schemes like 'Make in India'. The reason is that the Indian establishment wants foreign companies to invest in the country.

"It would be completely suicidal for Chinese companies to put their money in India by starting manufacturing projects there. The labour class in India is not very hard working or efficient," it argued.

The daily said that instead of opening shops in India, Chinese companies should set up their manufacturing units in China.

The world's third-largest smartphone maker, Huawei, opened its manufacturing unit in India last month.

"In any case, Indian businessmen flock to China in large numbers to buy products from China and sell them in India. This model suits China, so why disturb it by going and wasting money setting up manufacturing facilities in India?

"Let the Indian authorities bark about the growing trade deficit with China. The fact of the matter is they cannot do anything about it."

IANS