Published 13:05 IST, June 19th 2020
China mouthpiece's editor targets Harbhajan Singh for calling for boycott of Chinese goods
Harbhajan Singh's anti-China comments have not gone well with Chinese editor Hu Xijin, who accused the CSK star who sought a boycott of Chinese products
Anti-China sentiments in India are on the rise amidst the India China standoff, which saw the martyrdom of 20 Indian Army Jawans in Ladakh. Calls to boycott Chinese products are growing in India, with CSK spinner Harbhajan Singh also calling for a blanket ban on products coming from the country as soon as the LAC clash came to light. Following this, the Editor of Chinese mouthpiece Global Times has criticised the boycott calls amidst the India-China standoff and especially targeted cricketer Harbhajan Singh in his tweet. Harbhajan Singh slammed by top Chinese newspaper editor for endorsing boycott of products
India China Standoff: Chinese editor slams Harbhajan Singh for Anti-China comments
Hu Xijin, the editor in chief of the Global Times, has slammed India's boycott of Chinese products and hit out Harbhajan Singh's support for the movement by sharing a snip of a news story on Harbhajan's move. Global Times is widely considered the ruling Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) mouthpiece and Hu Xijin took to Twitter to express his displeasure on 'influencer' Harbhajan Singh's comments. Xijin said that China had long since passed the era where celebrities lead the calls for boycotting foreign products and said that the CSK star is representing another negative and backward image of great Indian culture. Hu was the same journalist who issued information that China would not reveal its casualty count from the clash, suspected to be between 35-45.
Harbhajan Singh was one of the many many celebrities who called for a "boycott" of the Chinese products and on Friday reiterated that the China boycott is necessary to keep the health of the body and the nation secured.
India China standoff: Anti-China sentiments in India on the rise after the Galwan Valley clash
Following the Galwan Valley clash in Ladakh where 20 Indian Army soldiers were martyred, the India China standoff has reached its peak, with two Union ministers urging people to not invest in Chinese products, while the Indian Railways terminated a signalling contract worth ₹471 crore given to a Chinese company.
The BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) is also reportedly set to boycott the use of Chinese telecom gear in its 4G upgrade. The India China standoff has also seen traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), in an open letter, appeal to Bollywood celebrities Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Virat Kohli and others to stop endorsing Chinese products.
It has also requested Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dixit, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and others to join the campaign to boycott Chinese products under its flagship nationwide movement 'Bharatiya Saaman-Hamara Abhiman'.
Also Read: IPL 2020: Harbhajan Singh Joins Cricketers Who Want BCCI To Allow Indians In Foreign T20 Leagues
(Image Credits: Harbhajan Singh Instagram)
Updated 13:05 IST, June 19th 2020