As Tensions Rise Along Disputed Border, Angry Indians Call for a Chinese Boycott

This article originally appeared on VICE World News India

China and India have been locked in a territorial dispute over the Galwan River valley since the 1960s. If you look at maps printed in China you'll see much of the valley runs within Chinese territory, while the reverse is true in India.

On June 17 this tension came to blows when a Chinese military deployment refused to leave the disputed valley, despite a previous de-escalation agreement. An ensuring squirmish resulted in the deaths of some 20 Indian military personal.

Reports now indicate China is moving hundreds of troops into the area, which for many Indians adds insult to injury, leading to widespread calls for a national boycott of all Chinese-made products.

On June 17, immediately after the border violence, a video surfaced showing three Indian men throwing an apparently Chinese-made television off a balcony.

Members of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) in Delhi’s affluent Defence Colony locality, flouted social distancing norms to burn effigies of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as they declared “war against China.”

The hashtag #BoycottChina has been trending on Twitter, along with the #WinnieThePooh, which refers to China's ban on the cartoon after it was suggested that Xi Jinping resembles the bear. Ramdas Athawale, an Indian minister also suggested that Chinese restaurants should be banned across the country, apparently overlooking the fact that Chinese restaurants are often Indian-owned.

Indeed, most protesters have apparently overlooked the fact that most consumer products in India are made in China.

India imports about seven times more from China than they export, with an estimated US$70.3 billion spent on imports in 2018-19. During the same period China spent about $16.7 billion on Indian products.

Between 2017 to 2018, almost 60 percent of India's electronic consumer goods were manufactured in China. Four Chinese brands, namely Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme and Oppo, make up the top five best selling mobile phones in India.

Yet, while one news channel in India pushed for a ban on Chinese-made products, an on-screen banner highlighted that the debate was sponsored by Vivo, a Chinese phone company.