Hitting out at Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for his remarks against the India-ASEAN trade agreements, former Commerce Minister and Congress veteran Anand Sharma on Friday said that labelling the Southeast Asian countries as the “B team of China is irresponsible and insulting”.
In U.K., Goyal slams Opposition for criticising Indian government overseas
Mr. Goyal, speaking at the India Global Forum (IGF) session on UK-India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration at the Science Museum in London on Thursday, had said that 15 years ago India was more focused on doing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries “who were our competitors”.
“So, if I am doing an ASEAN agreement, it really is silly because (that is) opening up my market to my competitors, many of whom have now become the B team of China. So, effectively and indirectly, I have opened up my market for goods that find their way from China into India,” he had said.
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