Chinese government and the ruling Communist Party have raised their voice against the Indian government’s telecom policy of ‘blacklisting’ Chinese telecom equipment vendors. China called for a transparent investment environment for its telecom equipment manufacturers. The party’s official media termed the move of Department of Telecom (DoT) as ‘unfair’ and ‘under the table’.
“We have noticed the list and are making an investigation,” said Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming to the official Xinhua news agency, referring to the 25 Chinese companies believed to be blacklisted by DoT. “We hope India will provide a fair, open and transparent investment environment for Chinese companies.”
Mr. Deming said that China would ‘investigate through normal channels between the two governments, and communicate and negotiate with the Indian side after making the facts clear’.
However, the official media, which is believed to be the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist party, was sterner in its protest. The Global Times, a powerful English newspaper carried an editorial on the issue on Friday, which read, “India should realize that it is unwise and impossible to try to contain the growth of its neighbor.” It termed the ‘blacklisting’ move as ‘a disappointment’.
Friday’s tirade against Indian government is the most emphatic from the Chinese government till date on the telecom ban issue. While caution is the keyword, there is no denying that the matter has strained the relation between the two countries that was otherwise warming up.
Indian telecom officials denied that Chinese telecom equipment vendors are either ‘blacklisted’ or ‘banned’. The issue was attributed to the inconsistent telecom policy in the country and the issue is being rectified.
National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, who recently visited China, when the issue featured in the official talks, said that the ban was not country-specific. He said, “An open, transparent and non-discriminatory system will be in place very soon.”
