Chinese media calls India protectionist

India launched 12 investigations against Chinese products this year, second only to the US, state media reported on Friday, adding that New Delhi had become more protective of its manufacturing sector.

The measures taken by India against Chinese products come amid a rise in bilateral trade, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said in latest statistics on trade.

“Bilateral trade between China and India amounted to 229 billion yuan ($33.7 billion) between January and May, up by 30.1 percent year-on-year,” the state-controlled China Daily reported, quoting figures released by the GAC.

Officials told the newspaper that India was increasingly protective of its manufacturing sector and increasingly so in highend products segment.

“We have also discovered that India's trend of launching trade remedy investigations has already shifted from lower-end products such as garments, glass and mining products, to higherend goods such as new materials and machinery,” Xue Rongjiu, deputy director of the Beijingbased China Society for WTO Studies, said.

India’s investigations into Chinese goods include cases against aluminum foil and photovoltaic products.

“Because India's manufacturing structure is similar to China's, especially in the lighting and photovoltaic industries, both are facing the same problem to boost exports to developed markets,” Li Gang, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said.