'Boycott Chinese goods': Arvind Kejriwal slams Centre for rising trade with China despite tension at LAC

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday slammed the Centre for record trade with China, which has been causing trouble for India at LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.    

Speaking at the 11th National Council of AAP, Kejriwal said while the soldiers are facing the Chinese PLA at the border firmly, the trade between India has China has increased to nearly USD 100 billion.

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"What is the compulsion of the Center that it is increasing trade with China?" he asked, urging the people to boycott Chinese goods. "We will buy goods made in India," he said.

Targeting the BJP government, Kejriwal said: "You are driving away the Indians and embracing the people of China." He said 90 per cent of goods coming from China can be made in India.

The chief minister also said that industrialists are leaving the country, in the last 5-7 years 12.5 Lakh people left the country. "Leaving CBI-ED behind industrialists, they take thieves and thieves into the party," he said.

Kejriwal's remarks come just a week after the Chinese PLA tried to status quo in the Yangtze area, near Tawang of Arunachal Pradesh. This was the first such attempt since 2020 when the Chinese army advanced into areas claimed by India in Eastern Ladakh.

After the Ladakh episode, there was a huge demand from the people to slow down trade with China, which has been adopting a hostile stance against India. 

However, in the past two years, the trade between both countries has zoomed with China exporting more than its import from New Delhi.  

On December 9, the commerce ministry said that the trade deficit between India and China had touched USD 51.5 billion during April-October this fiscal.

The deficit during 2021-22 had jumped to USD 73.31 billion as compared to 44.03 billion in 2020-21. While imports from April-October this fiscal stood at USD 60.27 billion, exports aggregated at USD 8.77 billion.