Shimla, August 05 As China takes initial steps to develop trade links with Himachal Pradesh under its “province-to-province Sino-Indian commerce strategy”, it has reiterated its interest in broadening the share of border trade between two countries through the high-altitude passes in the state.
In a significant move, China has extended support to the entrepreneurs of Himachal to explore trade possibilities in China. It has also requested the Indian government for relaxing visa norms for Chinese nationals and to allow for trade of wide variety of goods through the old silk route that enters China from India through the Shipkila and Nathula passes of Himachal Pradesh.
Replying to a question in Shimla during a seminar organised by the India “China Trade Centre (ICTC), Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of People’s Republic of China in India, Peng Gang said, “The Chinese government is very keen on expanding the trade in India, but the Indian government has been conservative with stringent visa norms for Chinese traveling to India.”
Giving out numbers during the seminar on growth of Himachal with experience from China, Gang said 5 lakh Indians visited China during 2007, while only 50,000 Chinese could get a visa to India.
“India is free to export 36 items to China through the borders shared by India along Himachal with the Autonomous Tibet Region, but China can export only 15 items,” said Gang.
Chairman SRC of India China Trade Centre (ICTC) V.K. Mishra said the Indian government is expected to add more items to the list of things allowed through border trade, which would include more significant things than salt and tea.
Health Minister Rajeev Bindal, on behalf of the state, conveyed interest in developing ties with China in infrastructure building, agriculture, tourism, hydro power and Herbal processing.
“Opportunities of processing of herbal produce and food processing in collaboration with China are being looked upon,” he said.
Chinese Company Longjian Road and Bridge Limited Company (state-run) is the first to foray into Himachal for road infrastructure development in Una and Rohru, with an investment of about 100 million US dollars.
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KUFRI: “India should relax the stringent visa requirements for Chinese entrepreneurs and tourists for promotion of bilateral relations, trade and joint ventures,” said Peng Gang, the economic and commercial counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India, here on Tuesday.
He said although the Chinese had started Visa Facilitation Services in their country, the number of Chinese visiting India was far less than the Indians visiting China.
Mr. Peng was addressing a seminar in this tourist resort near Shimla on ‘The growth of Himachal Pradesh with experiences from China and economic cooperation’ jointly organised by the India-China Trade Centre, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Chinese Enterprise in India. Improve cooperation
Claiming that bilateral trade was expected to reach $60 billion by 2010, he stressed the need to advance industry-to-industry relations and improve cooperation in the fields of steel, ferro-alloys, chemicals, information technology, plastics, petrochemicals and general trade.
Top officials of the India-China Trade Centre said though political clearance from the Chinese government was required for joint ventures with the State-owned companies from China, private entrepreneurs could do it without any government authorisation. There was no harm going in for economic and business cooperation despite the fact that Dalai Lama stays in Himachal Pradesh.
Mr. Liu Shu Jun, Chief Representative of Longjian Road Bridge Company, which is doing two road projects in India, said the company has installed infrastructural equipment worth $7 million in the past few days in the State.
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