Need to Strengthen trade between India and China: Commerce Secretary
Speaking at the India-China bilateral meeting here today, Shri G.K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary, has stated that in order to minimize the effects of global slowdown, both India and China need to strengthen the bilateral trade and economic relations and requested the Chinese side to explore the possibility of more diversified exports from India. “Given the immense potential the two countries have, in both production and the consumption capabilities, we need to work more closely to remove all the minor irritants that creep into our economic and trade relations”, he added. The bilateral meeting was attended by the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Mr. Zhong Shan and senior officials from both the countries.
During the discussions, Shri Pillai informed the visiting Chinese Minister that two countries could gain a lot by providing faster market access to pharmaceuticals and drugs. The Commerce Secretary also requested the Chinese side for granting market access to 14 fruits and vegetable at the earliest, as it was pending since long. Both sides felt that there is a need for increasing bilateral investments between the two countries and the main sectors for investments could be petrochemicals, steel, healthcare, IT, automobiles, biotechnology, renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.
India-China bilateral trade during 2007-08 was to the tune of US $ 37.9 billion (exports – US $ 10.8 billion and imports US $ 27.1 billion). The major items of exports from
During the seventh session of the Joint Study Group (JSG) held in
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