China`s state media calls LeT `Pak-based military group`, downplays boycott call of Chinese goods in Indian markets

Beijing: Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the dreaded Pakistan-based terrorists outfit, has been described as military group by China's state-run Global Times in a commentary.

Though the focus of the article was boycotting of Chinese goods by Indians, the description it used for LeT would surely raise eyebrows in India.

Acknowledging that both the sides would gain from a stable friendly relation, it said they are currently in talks to settle their differences on some key issues.

It said that the “Sino-Indian relationship has always been haunted by border disputes and Sino-Pakistani ties”.

They blame China for India's failure to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and for Beijing blocking India's UN bid on sanctioning a commander in Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based military group.

However, they have long realized that “setting aside their differences is beneficial for both sides' for overall development”.

Stressing that China has been India's largest trading partner since 2013, it said that political relations between the two sides have gradually improved, since former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's visit to the country in 1988.

It noted that the increasing trade deficit with China has been irritating New Delhi which it claimed has jumped to $51.45 billion in 2015.

“India is always vigilant against trade deficits. Chinese products can hence be easily turned into the target of India's anti-dumping sanctions,” it warned.

It also said that “Chinese merchandise, often mentioned by Indian media, is only a small part of China's exports to India.

“It is also a major exporter of high-tech goods, today's China exports high-tech products to India, including electrical and telecommunications equipment, train locomotives, computers and telephones.

“These are all necessary for India's economic development and its people's everyday lives.”

“A boycott of Chinese goods will not only result in little political effect but also fail to fundamentally change India's current trade ties with China.

“In the end, it will be nothing more than a tiny incident,” the article said.