India Faces Crop Failure Without Fertilizer for a Year... Xi Jinping Says "Opposes Protectionism"

Chinese State Media Criticizes India for Skipping 'Shanghai Import Expo' While Watching the US
India, Largest Importer of Chinese Chemical Fertilizers, Farmers Panic Over Fertilizer Shortage

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The Chinese state-run Global Times openly expressed displeasure toward the Indian government for India's absence from the "4th China International Import Expo (CIIE, hereafter Import Expo)." The Import Expo is considered one of China's three major trade fairs alongside the Beijing International Trade in Services Expo and the Guangdong China Import and Export Fair. It is a trade exhibition that attracts significant attention within China as it is personally overseen by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Photo by Global Times capture

The Global Times reported on the 5th that not a single Indian company participated in the Import Expo, suggesting that India is watching other countries' moves. The media added that this year's Import Expo is attended by over 3,000 companies from 127 countries and is held over six days from the 5th to the 10th.

The Global Times noted that during the 2nd Import Expo, India was one of the 15 major invited countries, but the number of participating Indian companies has since decreased, with zero companies participating this year. It also emphasized that trade between China and India reached $903.75 billion in the first three quarters of this year, a 49.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

The Global Times reported that India has not provided a clear reason for its absence from the Import Expo despite its significant trade with China, and that deteriorating bilateral relations have led Indian companies to refrain from participating.

Wang Dehua, a South Asia specialist in Shanghai, analyzed that "Along with border issues between the two countries, India is following the U.S.'s political stance to contain China," and sees India's absence from this expo as part of that. He added, "India depends on China for various components such as automobile parts," pointing out that "India has an industrial structure that inevitably relies on Chinese products." This can be interpreted as a kind of warning that worsening relations with China will ultimately harm India.

The Global Times argued that the trade relationship between China and India is an irresistible trend and that India should join the global trade flow instead of engaging in disputes with China.

Some interpretations suggest that India's absence from the Import Expo also reflects its protest against the Chinese government's export restrictions on chemical fertilizers. From the 15th of last month, China imposed export restrictions on 29 chemical fertilizer items, including ammonium chloride and calcium nitrate, to protect its domestic farmers and ensure food security.

India is the largest importer of Chinese chemical fertilizers. Up to the third quarter of this year, Chinese chemical fertilizer exports to India amounted to $1.56358 billion, accounting for 19% of China's total chemical fertilizer exports. In the case of urea, India accounts for 48.2% ($733.37 million) of China's total exports.

It is reported that India's primary industry is facing significant difficulties due to China's chemical fertilizer export ban. Chinese media such as CCTV have recently reported that India is experiencing chaos due to fertilizer shortages ahead of the sowing season.

The Chinese media Xinhua News quoted Indian local TV, reporting that Indian farmers lining up for two days to buy chemical fertilizers have led to panic, including the death of a farmer from a heart attack. It also reported that fertilizer theft incidents have increased due to soaring fertilizer prices.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, President Xi, in a video speech broadcast at the Import Expo opening ceremony held the previous night, stated, "The world is facing a once-in-a-century transformation along with COVID-19, and unilateralism and protectionism are emerging, causing economic globalization to regress." He added, "We must oppose unilateralism and protectionism and promote humanity's march toward a more beautiful future."

President Xi further emphasized, "China will firmly maintain a high level of openness," and said, "We will further reduce the negative list for foreign capital entry and gradually expand openness in service sectors such as telecommunications and healthcare."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.