Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, inadvertently insulted China while speaking to the media in the USA. He is part of the Pakistani delegation to the USA to counter India’s message on Operation Sindoor.
Speaking at a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Bilawal Bhutto said, “Mr Modi is sort of the Temu version of Netanyahu. So, like a poor copy. We call upon the Indian government to not be inspired by the worst examples possible.”
The comment by Bilawal Bhutto is being interpreted as an insult directed towards China as well. Temu is an online marketplace operated by the e-commerce company PDD Holdings. The e-commerce company was founded by Colin Huang Zheng.
Temu is famous for selling products to customers at hugely discounted prices. The brand has faced serious allegations regarding the poor quality of products. Authorities in Seoul in 2024 discovered that Chinese brands such as Temu and Shein contained toxic substances that far exceeded the legal limits. It has also been accused of selling counterfeit and illegal products.
Bhutto’s assertion that Chinese brands are inferior compared to their western counterparts in American soil is likely to cause some significant heartburns in Beijing.
Bilawal Bhutto embarrassed in New York
The Pakistani politician has committed several gaffes during his press conference in New York. He accused the Indian Government of using the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack to vilify the Muslim Community.
One journalist present at the press conference countered Bhutto saying, “You said that the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir is being used as a political tool to demonise Muslims in India. But, sir, I have watched briefings on both sides, and as far as I recall, there were Muslim Indian military officers who were conducting the briefings on the Indian side.”
Bhutto had no response to the remark by the journalist. He also expressed Pakistan’s eagerness to have talks with India. He stated, “Pakistan would still like to cooperate with India to combat terrorism. We can’t leave the fate of 1.5 billion, 1.7 billion people in the hands of non-state actors and terrorists… For them to decide, at a whim, that two nuclear-armed powers will go to war.”
He went on to add, “I am completely confident that if ISI and RAW were ready to sit down and work together to fight these forces, we would see a significant decrease in terrorism in both India and Pakistan.”
The Pakistan-Trump Bonhomie in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor
US President Donald Trump is relying on Pakistan for his cryptocurrency adventures. An agreement was signed in Islamabad for USD1-backed investment in Pakistan’s rare earth minerals sector. The integration of USD1 into the American financial infrastructure is expected to offer Pakistan’s deep state a digital escape route from the oversight mechanisms imposed by the IMF, FATF, and global banking norms.
