Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Indian bizmen advised to shun China’s Yiwu city-ToI-4.1.2012


Beijing: India’s Embassy in China on Tuesday advised Indians to avoid doing business in the southern Chinese city of Yiwu, where one of the world’s biggest commodities market is located, after local authorities there failed to stop the manhandling of diplomat S Balachandran and did nothing to free two Indian traders held being hostage held by Chinese traders. 
    “Indian traders and business men are hereby cautioned not to do business with Yiwu in Zhejiang province,” said an advisory posted on the Beijing Embassy’s website. Yiwu city is near Shanghai, where Balachandran is posted as a consular official. The incident which has triggered an undiplomatic spat also provoked a strong Indian comment on the Chinese judiciary. Indian traders should be aware “when there are trade disputes with Yiwu, the Indian businessmen/traders can be illegally held under detention and mistreated by Chinese businessmen there,” it said. “Based on experience, there is no guarantee that legal remedies will be readily available. Furthermore, in case of disputes arising, experience suggests that there is inadequate protection for safety of persons.” 
PM: China ahead of us in research 
    
Inaugurating the 99th Indian Science Congress on Tuesday, PM Manmohan Singh said, “India’s relative position in the world of science is declining, and the nation has been overtaken by countries like China”. He called for increasing “total R&D spending as a percentage of GDP to 2% by the end of the 12th Plan Period (2017)”
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Chinese Checkers 
India’s embassy advises Indians to avoid business in Chinese city Yiwu 
Says Indian traders can be 
illegally detained and mistreated there 
Warning comes after 
collapse of Indian diplomat during negotiations 
In Yiwu, 2 detained Indians moved from police station to a hotel ‘Advisory will send apt signals to Chinese govt’ Traders Held Hostage Want To Be Sent Home 
    Rahul Chabra, deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy said, “We expect the advisory will send out appropriate signals to both Indian businessmen and Chinese authorities”. 
    He said Chinese officials were told of the confinement of Indian businessmen immediately after it happened in mid-December but did nothing. Action was taken only after the matter came up in court on December 31. 
    Balachandran had collapsed during negotiations last Saturday to free Deepak Raheja andShayamsunder Agrawal, locked in a financial dispute, after he was denied food and critical medication. 
    On Monday, an angry Indian foreign office summoned Chinese deputy ambassador Zhang Yue to protest and demand the Indian traders be freed immediately. 
    And then a day after came the advisory. “All people who have business/ trade with Yiwu are cautioned against doing business there and all people who do not have business/ trade with Yiwu are requested to be careful that they do not do business with Yiwu,” it said. 
    Since then, the two Indians have been moved from the police station to a hotel under police escort last night. They were still in the hotel until late on Tuesday and their fate remained uncertain. 
    Raheja and Agrawal were pleading with desi authorities to be freed and sent home and Indian officials said efforts were on to bring them to Shanghai to ensure their safety.

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