India clears Dalai’s trip to Arunachal Pradesh, may rile China

India on Thursday backed a proposed visit by spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh. The exiled spiritual leader’s visit is likely to increase diplomatic tensions with China.

Worried over calls from some quarters for a boycott of Chinese goods in Diwali, Beijing on Thursday warned that any such move will negatively impact the India-bound investments from its enterprises and also the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

When asked about the Dalai Lama’s proposed visit to Arunachal, ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said he is a “guest of India” and is free to travel across the country. “The Dalai Lama is a revered spiritual figure and an honoured guest of India. He is absolutely free to travel to any part of the country. It is a fact that he has a sizeable following among the Buddhists in Arunachal Pradesh who like to seek his blessings. He has visited the state in the past as well and we see nothing unusual if he visits again,” Mr Swarup said. While India has always maintained that Arunachal is it’s an integral part, China regards Arunachal as its territory and had recently protested against US envoy Richard Verma’s visit to Arunachal recently. China has also been a strong critic of the Tibetan supreme spiritual leader, who fled to India several decades ago after China invaded and annexed Tibet in 1950. According to some reports, the Dalai Lama will visit Arunachal in March 2017. He has been invited by state chief minister Pema Khandu.

Meanwhile, China on Thursday asserted that the boycott of Chinese goods in India would not have impact much on its exports, but “without proper substitutes, the biggest losers will be Indian traders and consumers”.

According to news agency PTI, in a statement issued, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said, “The exports to India accounted for only 2 per cent of China’s total exports and India’s boycott of Chinese goods will not have much impact on China’s exports. China is more concerned that the boycott will negatively affect Chinese enterprises to invest in India and the bilateral cooperation, which both Chinese and Indian people are not willing to see.”

The Chinese embassy referred to reports that local sellers in Sadar Bazaar, the largest wholesale market of household items in India, have complained about their Chinese goods sale dropping by at least 20 per cent. “The boycott effect will not limit (itself) to Diwali related products, but (is) extended to other Chinese products that are not related to the festival. In the long-run, the boycott will not only hurt Chinese goods sale, but also cause negative effects to consumers in India.”

Amid rising tension in Indo-Pak ties, there are calls from some fringe entities, including through social media platforms, about boycott of Chinese goods to protest against China’s support to Pakistan.

Apex traders body Cait (Confederation of All India Traders) recently said the sale of Chinese products may decline by 30 per cent this Diwali.

India is a big market for Chinese products and over the years, import of toys, furniture, building hardware, crackers, lighting and electric fittings, furnishing fabric, office stationary, electronic appliances, consumer electronics, kitchen equipment & appliances, gift items and watches from China has increased to a great extent.

Chinese products are generally low-priced which is the root cause of their infiltration in the Indian market, CAIT said.