Indian elites call to boycott Chinese goods, denying the poor their right to a better life: experts
Can India’s fragile economy survive its own ‘boycott China’ campaign?
Calls from India’s elite to resist or substitute goods manufactured in China ranging from telecom instruments and electronic components to consumer electronics and toys will deny the Indian masses their right to a better life, Chinese experts said.
Han Feng, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University and an Indian affairs expert, told the Global Times that the average Indian consumer is simply unable to boycott every product, especially not for a long time.
“Economic nationalist stick-waving by India’s elite after the recent border clash would deny the Indian poor costeffective Chinese goods, thus denying them their right to a better life,” Han said.
“For the wealthier Indian middle class, demand will be killed. Those who are convinced to buy or deterred from buying a Xiaomi smart phone may never have the money to buy an iPhone. Instead, they will choose to delay their purchase, and that’s bad news for the Indian economy which is in need of a consumption boost amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Han said, noting that a boycott of Chinese goods could only stall the Indian government’s aim to build a $5 trillion economy by 2024.
Swaran Singh, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Global Times that the recent border tensions have strengthened the movement to resist Chinese goods and investments within India. He estimated that, alongside with other factors like the overall global economic slowdown, 2020 will see India-China bilateral trade shrink by at least $10 billion.