China defends India over wheat export ban, says West just wants to shift blame

Amid criticism from the West for imposing a wheat export ban, China has come to India’s defence. An article in Global Times, the Chinese government’s mouthpiece, has defended India’s decision and asked the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations that if they are so quick to criticise India, why won’t they themselves hike exports and stabilise the food market supply.  

This comes after German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir said at a press conference in Stuttgart: "If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis."

The Global Times report added that clearly, G7’s performance was lacklustre. 

It said that while India is the second-largest wheat producer, it accounts for only a small part of global wheat exports, while some countries such as US, Canada, the EU and Australia are some of the major wheat exporters. 

“If some Western countries decide to reduce wheat exports in the wake of a potential global food crisis, they will be in no position to criticise India, a country that faces huge pressure to secure its own food supply in order to feed its huge population,” the article said.

It said that the real reason behind the “steep rises in global market food prices and food supply shortages” is the Ukraine crisis and the West’s sanctions on Russia. 

“Blaming India won't solve the food problem, although there is no denying that India's move to stop its wheat exports may push up wheat prices a little bit. The West just wants to shift the blame to the developing economies, including India,” it said. 

The Global Times report says that each country needs to increase local food production and reduce reliance on imported grain “in the wake of a looming food crisis”. It said that China has felt the pinch of growing food prices too. The Chinese government has implemented policies to counter the effects. 

The article stated that the US and its allies have striven to preserve their global dominance and serve their interests. “As a result, the interests of the developing countries often take a back seat,” it argued. 

It added that developing countries have a strong incentive to take firm action because they suffer more than the developed ones. It called for the strengthening of cooperation between developing nations. 

The article also said that it is still unclear if India, China and other countries will play a bigger role in the global food supply chain. It said that the G7 countries are welcome to join the efforts in tackling the global supply crisis. 

Also read: Egypt to buy 500,000 tonnes of wheat from India