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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
To further tech manufacturing, India rethinks China blockade
Nearly half a decade ago, India adopted a 'China-out' strategy of sorts, in response to the border clashes in 2020, introduced an anti-Beijing foreign investment policy, and kept Chinese firms out of critical sectors like telecommunications. Now, however, necessitated by changing geopolitical dynamics, following US President Donald Trump's unprecedented onslaught on global trade, and India's own manufacturing ambitions, New Delhi is undertaking a serious rethink on the existing strategy, and is strongly considering particularly easing China-based entities' entry into the country, with some riders. The most recent sign of the thaw came in the form of a recommendation made by the government think tank Niti Aayog, earlier this month, to ease India's foreign direct investment (FDI) rules, which involves government scrutiny into investments made by Chinese firms. Earlier, the Economic Survey 2023-24 had sprung a surprise by advocating attracting investments from Chinese companies to boost exports. India had earlier put restrictions on investments from China through Press Note 3 in April 2020 to curb potential opportunistic takeovers of Indian companies during the Covid-19 pandemic by making a government approval mandatory for all investments from countries sharing a land border with India, including China. It continued to be in force in the wake of national security concerns due to border tensions after the Galwan clash. Early signs of a thaw There have been some signs that India is slowly, but surely, allowing Chinese companies to partner with Indian entities. Dixon Technologies, which is a major Indian electronics assembly company, received approval from the IT Ministry to set up a joint venture with China-based Longcheer. The new company will focus on manufacturing and supplying a wide range of electronics, including smartphones, tablets, true wireless stereo (TWS) devices, smartwatches, AI-powered PCs, automotive electronics, and healthcare devices. Dixon will hold 74 per cent in the JV, and the remaining 26 per cent will be with Longcheer. 'We can not continue to avoid China. The truth is, they make things which we need for our assembly operations, and if we want to go deeper into the supply chain, our companies have to work with Chinese companies,' a senior government official said. The IT Ministry, earlier this year, notified a Rs 23,000 crore policy for electronic components manufacturing, and it is widely anticipated that Indian firms would partner with Chinese entities to participate in the scheme, given the expertise they have. Recently, India also resumed issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals as part of a broader effort to repair bilateral ties. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to China where he had underlined that 'differences should not become disputes' nor should 'competition ever become conflict' and that while India and China have made good progress in the past nine months towards the normalisation of bilateral relations, they should work to address de-escalation on the border. China out in letter, not in spirit, and some repercussions Of course, while the government managed to keep China out in some sectors like finished smartphones, imports from the country continued, particularly for a number of electronic components, which are crucial for the final assembly process in India, but for which New Delhi has little to no production base. The Indian Express had earlier reported that the financial year 2023-24, India imported electronic components worth over $12 billion from China and $6 billion from Hong Kong, with the two accounting for more than half of total such imports to India – suggesting that the country's growing footprint in electronics manufacturing was not necessarily into reduced reliance on Beijing. In the last five years, electronics imports from China and Hong Kong have far outnumbered imports from other major manufacturing hubs like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and all ASEAN countries, combined. China, for its own part, and seeing India's growing manufacturing footprint, also imposed restrictions on its companies, making it harder for them to do business with Indian firms. For instance, India's share in US smartphone imports surged to nearly 36 per cent in the first five months of 2025, from about 11 per cent in 2024. China, which continues to dominate the product category, saw its share drop from 82 per cent to 49 per cent over the same period, this paper had reported earlier. China's actions include pulling workers out of India, and making it more difficult for India-based manufacturing companies to obtain capital goods, which are needed for the assembly process. China has also imposed a blockade on several rare earth metals and magnets, and while the prime target of that restriction is the United States, India has found itself caught in the crosshairs. Soumyarendra Barik is Special Correspondent with The Indian Express and reports on the intersection of technology, policy and society. With over five years of newsroom experience, he has reported on issues of gig workers' rights, privacy, India's prevalent digital divide and a range of other policy interventions that impact big tech companies. He once also tailed a food delivery worker for over 12 hours to quantify the amount of money they make, and the pain they go through while doing so. In his free time, he likes to nerd about watches, Formula 1 and football. ... Read More
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan recall: shock waves likely no matter who prevails on ballots, analysts say
Polling stations in Taiwan are set to open on Saturday as the island holds a landmark vote in a sweeping recall campaign that could tilt control of its legislature back to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and test whether anti-Beijing sentiment remains the defining force in Taiwanese politics. The unprecedented mass recall vote – set to begin at 8am Saturday, primarily targeting lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) – has triggered intense political debate and could shape the island's trajectory ahead of next year's local government polls as well as the election of the island's leader in 2028. Twenty-four legislators – all members of the Beijing-friendly KMT party – face recall votes organised by pro-DPP civic groups with strong backing from the ruling party. Another seven KMT lawmakers are set to face recall votes on August 23. All have been accused by recall organisers of 'selling out Taiwan to China'. Supporters of the recall campaign gather on Tuesday outside a Taipei metro station shouting 'Great recall, great success'. Photo: AFP 'The vote on Saturday is not just about legislative control. It is a litmus test for how far the 'resist China, protect Taiwan' campaign can go,' said Max Lo, executive director of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, a Taipei-based think tank. Beijing has denounced the recall campaign as political manipulation. Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for mainland China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said Taiwan's leader William Lai Ching-te was 'using democracy as a cover for dictatorship' and 'suppressing the opposition by any means'. Those remarks have been seized upon by DPP supporters as proof of the KMT's alleged closeness to mainland China. Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, has intensified military pressure on the island since Lai took office in May last year and provoked Beijing with 'separatist' and pro-independence remarks. The United States, like most other countries, does not recognise self-governed Taiwan as independent. However, it is opposed to any unilateral change to the status quo and is committed to supplying the island with weapons for defence.
Asahi Shimbun
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Propaganda research shows Japan skews more susceptible
Hong Kong natives living in Japan rally in a pro-democracy protest on June 9, 2024, in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, marking the fifth anniversary of the massive protest in Hong Kong. (Emi Iwata) Let me be clear. Every person has their own story to live out. If the story is of your choice and also to your liking, good for you. But you aren't always so lucky. Sometimes, the story is forced on you by the powers that be. And even more menacing is a story you are unknowingly duped into accepting. I visited Tetsuro Kobayashi, 47, a Waseda University professor researching the effects of propaganda on public opinion by authoritarian regimes. What interested me was that Kobayashi's focus is on the parties being manipulated, not the manipulators. According to Kobayashi, a survey taken in nine countries and regions showed the Japanese people to be outstandingly 'demo-phobic.' In Japan, there apparently is a tendency to loathe people who engage in political activism. The freedom to hold demonstrations is fundamental to democracy. And yet, to do so is seen as disrupting harmony. How irrational. This sort of social climate is said to explain Japan's 'vulnerability' to Chinese and Russian propaganda. For instance, during the Hong Kong democracy movement, China propagated the 'narrative' that the CIA was behind the uprising, which was believed more readily by Japan's demonstration haters, regardless of whether they were pro-Beijing or anti-Beijing. Other research results also indicate the overall gullibility of Japanese public opinion when exposed to propaganda. Usually, we watch the news and learn, before we come across 'nonfactual' information consisting essentially of rumors and conspiracy theories. But because the latter are new and sensational in nature, they tend to grab our attention and 'overwrite' what we've learned. 'This is hard to deal with, but the important thing is for us to be aware that it happens,' said Kobayashi. Nodding deeply in agreement, I wondered: 'Isn't there anything we can do to change people's demo-phobia?' —The Asahi Shimbun, June 26 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Japan Today
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
China displaces old foe Japan in South Koreans' minds ahead of vote
Anti-Chinese feeling has spread among South Koreans -- online, at right-wing rallies and in Seoul's Chinatown. By Oliver Hotham and Lillian Ding Shops selling steaming snacks line the streets of Seoul's Daerim neighborhood, home to thousands of ethnic Chinese, some feeling the pressure from mounting anti-Beijing sentiment ahead of South Korea's election. China has displaced longtime foe and former colonial power Japan in many South Koreans' minds as the country's most distrusted neighbor in recent years. And ahead of Tuesday's vote, anti-Chinese feeling has spread among South Koreans -- online, at right-wing rallies and in Seoul's Chinatown. Many of the quarter's Chinese residents, such as 74-year-old Yu Shunzi, flocked to South Korea seeking economic opportunities in the 1990s and 2000s. "A lot of Koreans still think China is a very backward country and discriminate against Chinese a lot," she told AFP. Yu, who arrived in 2007 from the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, said the situation is so bad that she planned to move back when the economy allowed. "I want to go home, but with the exchange rate being this low, I'd lose a lot of money," she said. While former colonial master Japan has long had a difficult relationship with South Korea, Seoul's ties with China have increasingly come under the spotlight. In 2022, polling conducted by Hankook Research showed for the first time that South Koreans distrusted China more than they did Japan -- a trend that has continued in recent years. Former leader Yoon Suk Yeol referred to vague allegations of Chinese spying when he tried to justify his declaration of martial law, which led to his ousting. Conspiracy theories have since run rampant among the South Korean right, fueling the distrust. But analysts also say that a series of clashes between Beijing and Seoul in recent years over history, territory and defense are the deeper cause of the schism. "China's growing assertiveness is the main reason behind South Korea's negative views about the country," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King's College London. "Most South Koreans have no affinity towards today's China," the international relations professor told AFP. Seoul has long trodden a fine line between top trading partner China and defense guarantor the United States. Relations with China nosedived in 2016 following the South's decision to deploy the US-made THAAD missile defense system. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, imposing a string of restrictions on South Korean businesses and banning group tours as part of sweeping economic retaliation. A series of public spats about the origins of Korean cultural staples such as kimchi, which China had claimed as its own, also left a bitter taste. Yoon's administration deepened that divide, cleaving close to the United States and seeking to improve ties with Japan. "Under his leadership, Seoul made its position unmistakably clear: it stood with Washington and its allies, not Beijing," Claudia Kim, assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, told AFP. Opposition leader and election frontrunner Lee Jae-myung has publicly hinted that a softer line might be in the works if he wins. Beijing won't "miss the opportunity to improve relations with the South" if Lee wins, Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul's Sejong Institute told AFP, suggesting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping could even take place. Lee has also raised alarm bells by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea's concern. That could put him on a collision course with the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has made containing China a cornerstone of its bid to reshape the international order. "Trump's focus on deterring China may lead to a mismatch of foreign policy priorities with Lee," Edward Howell, a lecturer in politics at the University of Oxford, told AFP. Compounding deepening distrust of China has been a surge of conspiracy theories. Analysis by AFP revealed many of the most widely-circulated pieces of misinformation tap into fears of meddling by China. Rallies in support of ex-president Yoon have featured calls to oust alleged "pro-Chinese Communist Party" forces, as well as posters with anti-Chinese slurs and slogans advocating for Chinese nationals to be deported. A recent editorial in Beijing's state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times condemned "far-right" forces in South Korea for "stirring up xenophobia" against Chinese people. In Seoul's Chinatown, Li Jinzi, 73, complained about a culture of "misinformation" that was breeding negative feelings towards her home country. "Fake news breeds misunderstandings," she said. © 2025 AFP
Yomiuri Shimbun
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
China Displaces Old Foe Japan in South Koreans' Minds Ahead of Vote
Ichiro Ohara / The Yomiuri Shimbun Citizens gather for a rally in Seoul on Saturday. SEOUL(AFP-Jiji) — Shops selling steaming snacks line the streets of Seoul's Daerim neighbourhood, home to thousands of ethnic Chinese, some feeling the pressure from mounting anti-Beijing sentiment ahead of South Korea's election. China has displaced longtime foe and former colonial power Japan in many South Koreans' minds as the country's most distrusted neighbour in recent years. And ahead of Tuesday's vote, anti-Chinese feeling has spread among South Koreans — online, at right-wing rallies and in Seoul's Chinatown. Many of the quarter's Chinese residents, such as 74-year-old Yu Shunzi, flocked to South Korea seeking economic opportunities in the 1990s and 2000s. 'A lot of Koreans still think China is a very backward country and discriminate against Chinese a lot,' she told AFP. Yu, who arrived in 2007 from the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, said the situation is so bad that she planned to move back when the economy allowed. 'I want to go home, but with the exchange rate being this low, I'd lose a lot of money,' she said. While former colonial master Japan has long had a difficult relationship with South Korea, Seoul's ties with China have increasingly come under the spotlight. In 2022, polling conducted by Hankook Research showed for the first time that South Koreans distrusted China more than they did Japan — a trend that has continued in recent years. 'No affinity' towards China Former leader Yoon Suk Yeol referred to vague allegations of Chinese spying when he tried to justify his declaration of martial law, which led to his ousting. Conspiracy theories have since run rampant among the South Korean right, fuelling the distrust. But analysts also say that a series of clashes between Beijing and Seoul in recent years over history, territory and defence are the deeper cause of the schism. 'China's growing assertiveness is the main reason behind South Korea's negative views about the country,' said Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King's College London. 'Most South Koreans have no affinity towards today's China,' the international relations professor told AFP. Seoul has long trodden a fine line between top trading partner China and defence guarantor the United States. Relations with China nosedived in 2016 following the South's decision to deploy the US-made THAAD missile defence system. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, imposing a string of restrictions on South Korean businesses and banning group tours as part of sweeping economic retaliation. A series of public spats about the origins of Korean cultural staples such as kimchi, which China had claimed as its own, also left a bitter taste. Yoon's administration deepened that divide, cleaving close to the United States and seeking to improve ties with Japan. 'Under his leadership, Seoul made its position unmistakably clear: it stood with Washington and its allies, not Beijing,' Claudia Kim, assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, told AFP. Opposition leader and election frontrunner Lee Jae-myung has publicly hinted that a softer line might be in the works if he wins. Beijing won't 'miss the opportunity to improve relations with the South' if Lee wins, Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul's Sejong Institute told AFP, suggesting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping could even take place. Lee has also raised alarm bells by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea's concern. That could put him on a collision course with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has made containing China a cornerstone of its bid to reshape the international order. 'Trump's focus on deterring China may lead to a mismatch of foreign policy priorities with Lee,' Edward Howell, a lecturer in politics at the University of Oxford, told AFP. Fake news thrives Compounding deepening distrust of China has been a surge of conspiracy theories. Analysis by AFP revealed many of the most widely-circulated pieces of misinformation tap into fears of meddling by China. Rallies in support of ex-president Yoon have featured calls to oust alleged 'pro-Chinese Communist Party' forces, as well as posters with anti-Chinese slurs and slogans advocating for Chinese nationals to be deported. A recent editorial in Beijing's state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times condemned 'far-right' forces in South Korea for 'stirring up xenophobia' against Chinese people. In Seoul's Chinatown, Li Jinzi, 73, complained about a culture of 'misinformation' that was breeding negative feelings towards her home country. 'Fake news breeds misunderstandings,' she said.
