China urges India to avoid extending border dispute to business

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China has urged India not to start new disputes as they will take measures to protect the interests of Chinese firms operating in India. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson made the statement in Beijing on July 3 in response to a series of actions taken by India against China. 

Zhao Lijian, the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, stated that pragmatic cooperation between China and India was mutually beneficial and win-win while man-made obstacles to cooperation between the two countries violated the relevant World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and may also harm India's own interests. 

His comments came after a series of measures, such as banning 59 mobile applications developed by Chinese firms, were taken by the Indian government against China after border tensions between the two countries had boiled over in June. 

Media outlets even reported that the Indian officials were considering actions to stop the Chinese companies from participating in India's future highway projects. 

There were also rumours doing the rounds that a Chinese company may not be allowed to become the title sponsors of the Indian Premier League (IPL), rated as the richest franchise-based T20 cricket tournament of the world. 

In response to a question, Zhao remarked that China and India were engaging in dialogue on easing the situation through military and diplomatic channels and neither side should take any action that may complicate the border situation. 

As the two countries' border conflict eased, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited a forward post in the border region of Ladakh on July 3.