Traders body threatens boycott of Chinese goods on JeM chief stance

Traders' body CAIT Thursday said it will launch a national campaign to boycott Chinese goods "to teach a lesson to China" after Beijing once again blocked a bid in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which claims to represent seven crore traders, said that trade associations across the country will burn a "Holi of Chinese goods" on March 19, ahead of the festival.

The bilateral trade between India and China rose by 18.63 per cent year-on-year and reached USD 84.44 billion in 2017. But the trade deficit with China continued to remain high at USD 51.75 billion during the year.

The bilateral trade hit the historic high, notwithstanding bilateral tensions over a host of issues, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China blocking India's efforts at UN to designate JeM leader Azhar a global terrorist, Beijing blocking India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Doklam standoff.

For the fourth time, China blocked a bid in the United Nations (UN) Security Council to designate Azhar as a "global terrorist" by putting a technical hold on the proposal on Wednesday, a move India termed as disappointing.

Now the time has come when China should suffer due to its proximity with Pakistan in terms of providing all kinds of assistance, including finance and such resources, which are used against India, CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

CAIT also demanded the government levy customs duty of 300-500 per cent on the import of Chinese goods.

In its national campaign, CAIT said, it will also rope in national organisations of transport, consumers, small industries, farmers, hawkers and other sections.

The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a JeM suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan.