China and India warm up with 101 trade pacts

NEW DELHI: A new era of cooperation between China and India opened as both signed 101 agreements as a trade promotion group organised by China's Ministry of Commerce is visiting India to strengthen economic and trade ties and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

The group, which arrived here Friday and will stay until Tuesday, is composed of officials from the Ministry of Commerce and more than 30 representatives from various sectors including textile, pharmaceutical, petrochemical industries as well as commercial trading, agriculture and others.

On Saturday in New Delhi, the Chinese side and India's Commerce and Industry Ministry jointly organised the promotion of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), to be held in November in Shanghai, and the signing ceremony of India-China trade cooperation projects, according to a news release from the Chinese delegation. During the signing ceremony, a total of 101 trade agreements were signed, the release said.

The economic and trade relations between China and India have maintained a rapid developing momentum in recent years, with bilateral cooperation bearing remarkable fruits, Chinese officials said at the ceremony. Indian representatives said that the visit by the Chinese delegation provides a practical platform for promoting the economic and trade ties between the two countries, which shows that the Chinese government highly appreciates bilateral trade.

They expressed the belief that the visit will help promote win-win cooperation and further strengthen bilateral trade relations. The Indian side also appreciated the promotion of the CIIE, saying many Indian enterprises are looking forward to participating in the expo as a first step to venture into the Chinese market. --