The arrested Vivo employees will appear in court on Tuesday (Representational)
China will provide consular protection and assistance to two Chinese employees of smartphone maker Vivo arrested in India and urged authorities not to discriminate against Chinese companies, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
"We are closely following what you mentioned. The Chinese government firmly supports Chinese companies to safeguard their lawful rights and interests," Mao Ning told a regular press conference.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week arrested two senior employees of Vivo's India unit, a move the company vowed to challenge legally.
The two were brought to a Delhi court on Saturday and sent to the ED's custody, a person directly involved with the case told Reuters.
The Vivo employees, whose identity Reuters could not confirm, will appear in court on Tuesday, said the source, who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to talk to the media.