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Chinese state media on Sunday, 15 May, defended India amid criticism by the Group of Seven (G7) nations regarding India's decision to regulate the export of wheat, saying that blaming India will not solve the global food problem.
Earlier, the Indian government had put wheat export under the "prohibited category", and the Ministry of Commerce had stated that the export of wheat was banned with "immediate effect".
In response to the move, agriculture ministers from the G7 industrialised nations on Saturday condemned India's decision to ban unapproved wheat exports.
Responding to criticism from the G7 against India, an editorial in China's Global Times said: "Now, the agriculture ministers from G7 urge India not to ban wheat exports, then why won't G7 nations themselves move to stabilise food market supply by hiking their exports?"
Global Times further said that if western countries themselves decided to reduce their wheat exports amid a global food crisis, they would not be in a position to criticise India.
Meanwhile, India issued a statement on Saturday in which it explained the rationale behind prohibiting wheat exports, saying that doing so would control food prices and enhance food security of the country.
It also added that India would honour all its contracts as a reliable supplier.
"The Government of India is committed to providing for the food security requirements of India, neighbouring and other vulnerable developing countries which are adversely affected by the sudden changes in the global market for wheat and are unable to access adequate wheat supplies," the official statement issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) read.
(With inputs from AFP.)
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