China calls for fair play in Indian telecoms

China’s commerce minister on Friday asked India to be ‘fair and open’ in providing investment opportunities to Chinese telecom companies reportedly facing commercial restrictions over national security concerns.

China’s commerce minister on Friday asked India to be ‘fair and open’ in providing investment opportunities to Chinese telecom companies reportedly facing commercial restrictions over national security concerns.

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“We are making investigation. We hope India will provide a fair, open and transparent investment environment for Chinese companies,” said commerce minister Chen Deming. “We will investigate through normal channels and communicate and negotiate with the Indian side after making the facts clear."

The commerce ministry's estimates reported in the official Chinese media say deals worth $5 billion signed between Indian operators and Chinese telecom equipment companies have been impacted by Indian security restrictions.

The State-run Chinese media’s take on the controversy is stronger. On Friday, the Communist Party-backed Global Times newspaper published said in an article that the Chinese have never been ‘suspicious’ of Indian ambitions or ‘jealous’ of India’s IT industry but ‘India has not reciprocated with due respect or trust’.