NEW DELHI, India Aug 24 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for building a resilient and inclusive supply chain, amplifying a pitch that reflects the global wariness over dependence on China as the “factory of the world”.
“The Covid pandemic has taught us the importance of resilient and inclusive supply chains. For this, trust and transparency are very critical. We can use each other’s strength to contribute towards the betterment of the entire world, especially the Global South,” the PM said in his address at the Brics Business Forum in Johannesburg.
Significantly, Modi’s remarks came ahead of his likely interactions, including a possible one-on-one with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and in the presence of Beijing’s commerce minister Wang Wentao.
India has joined the US, Australia, Japan and others in seeking to build a “resilient supply chain”, a euphemism for reducing dependence on China, which has been flooding western markets with everything from garments to gadgets, making use of a liberal trade regime.
During the pandemic, with many countries dependent on supply of masks and test kits from the Asian giant, the world became acutely aware of the risk posed by China’s dominance and several countries have initiated steps to shore up domestic manufacturing.
