China said it is ready to import more Indian products and enhance trade cooperation, according to Beijing’s ambassador to New Delhi. This announcement comes ahead of anticipated US tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday. The two Asian neighbours are making efforts to rebuild their relationship following a border clash in 2020 on their Himalayan frontier, which had strained ties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed to Indian President Droupadi Murmu that China and India should collaborate more closely. This message was part of the congratulatory exchanges to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, in an interview with the Global Times, stated, “We are willing to work with the Indian side to strengthen practical cooperation in trade and other areas, and to import more Indian products that are well-suited to the Chinese market.”
Xu also welcomed Indian enterprises to explore opportunities in China, sharing in the benefits of China’s development. Xu expressed hopes that India would foster a fair and transparent business environment for Chinese companies to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation.
Earlier in January, India and China agreed to resume direct air services after nearly five years, aiming to resolve differences over trade and economic issues. This development followed a meeting in Beijing between India’s top diplomat Vikram Misri and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. India’s foreign ministry stated that both sides would negotiate a framework for the resumption of flights at an “early date”. China’s foreign ministry confirmed the resumption and emphasised the importance of “mutual support and mutual achievement”.
Bilateral trade between India and China rose by 4 per cent to $118.40 billion in the last fiscal year, primarily consisting of Indian imports from China.
India had imposed restrictions on Chinese investments in the country after the 2020 border clash and has not yet lifted these barriers. Meanwhile, India is working to reduce tariffs to address concerns raised by US President Donald Trump, who criticised the nation for its tariff policies. Both countries have initiated discussions to secure an early trade agreement and resolve their tariff disputes.
(With Reuters inputs)
