China’s Ministry of Commerce urged India on Thursday to “enhance its business climate” and assure “non-discriminatory” treatment of Chinese enterprises, following a new ban on Chinese applications and recent tax investigations against Chinese telecom and mobile firms. India, which has already banned more than 200 Chinese apps due to security concerns, announced this week the addition of 54 apps to the list.
Additionally, many offices of Chinese telecom giant Huawei were searched last week, following similar tax probes into Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. On Thursday, Gao Feng, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Commerce Ministry, stated that “relevant Indian authorities have adopted a series of steps to repress Chinese enterprises and their products in India, severely impairing Chinese companies’ legal rights and interests.”
China has expressed grave concern
“China expressed grave concern over this,” he was cited as saying by the official China News Service during a news conference in Beijing, adding that “the Ministry has seen that foreign investors, especially Chinese enterprises, are also growing apprehensive about India’s investment environment.” “Foreign investors have created a significant number of jobs in India and contributed positively to the country’s economic development,” he added, stressing that “China and India are inseparable neighbors and significant economic and trade partners.”
“The two countries’ economic and trade cooperation is robust and has enormous potential,” he said, noting that bilateral trade hit a record $125.7 billion in 2021. “It is hoped,” he continued, “that the Indian side will take meaningful steps to sustain the robust growth momentum of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and to benefit the two nations.”