BEWARE OF TRADE IMBALANCE

Apropos the editorial, ‘Imposing costs on China’, the ban on Chinese apps should have been imposed much earlier. Nonetheless, this is the first time that India has thought of using the digital sphere to react to military actions. Though the move has been criticised by China, it is the result of the prevailing antiChina sentiments in our country. The ban, however, may ultimately prove to be a populist and cosmetic exercise and may not bruise China. Confronting China, which is a superpower in cyberspace, will be of little use unless it is complemented by efforts to ramp up manufacturing and bolster imports. With India in the midst of pandemic, it will be a challenge to reduce dependence on China, which is known for its high productivity and availability of skilled workforce. PL Singh