Budget Hotel Owners in Delhi Say They Are Banning Chinese Nationals

In light of calls for a nationwide boycott of Chinese goods by a trade body in India, the Delhi Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association (DHROA) has pledged to also ban Chinese citizens from their hotels and restaurants.

The DHROA claims to represent 3,000 budget hotels and guest houses in India’s capital.

This decision was announced on June 25, following a meeting with an organisation called the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). The CAIT claims to represent almost 70 million traders and 40,000 trade associations in the country.

Ahead of India’s elections in 2019, CAIT had endorsed the Bharatiya Janata Party, of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a member.

“We requested hotel associations in India to boycott Chinese goods like cutlery, furniture and electronics, but this association took it a step further by promising to ban all Chinese nationals from booking rooms or tables at their restaurants,” Sandeep Khandelwal, the president of CAIT, told VICE. According to Khandelwal, an estimated 800,000 Chinese nationals visit India’s national capital Delhi every year.

Some Indians have called for a boycott of Chinese goods after a June 15 clash between soldiers of the two countries along part of the border in Eastern Ladakh. The clash resulted in casualties on both sides: India lost 20 soldiers; China is yet to reveal its losses.

Experts point out that it’s easier said than done, considering India relies on China for key imports of raw materials.

“In view of the nefarious activities of China, it has been decided that no Chinese will be accommodated in Delhi's hotels and guest houses from now onwards. Delhi has about 3,000 budget hotels and guest houses with about 75 thousand rooms," the DHROA’s President and General Secretary Sandeep and Mahendra Gupta respectively said in a statement.

VICE reached out to the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi for a statement, and will update the story accordingly.

The Indian government has been taking steps to be less reliant on its neighbour. On Tuesday, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry mandated that the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal would require sellers to declare their country of origin while registering any new product on the procurement platform. This is being seen as a move to discourage Indians from buying Chinese products.

Meanwhile, Chinese mobile companies that dominate the Indian market are facing the heat. While Chinese phone company Xiaomi tried to cover up their store with banners that declared “Made in India,” Oppo cancelled the live online launch of its flagship 5G handset in India on June 24.

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