Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 03, 2004
India hopes Nepal bridge its trade with China
Given the condition that the Sino-Indian trade relies on marine transportation and the inconvenience caused by it, India suggested Nepal, with its special geographic advantage, act as a bridge in the trade between India and China.
Given the condition that the Sino-Indian trade relies on marine transportation and the inconvenience caused by it, said Mr. Dipak Chatterjee, secretary of Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, who was attending the conference of the Commission of India-Nepal Trans-governmental Cooperation in Katmandu, Nepal, India suggested Nepal, with its special geographic advantage, act as a bridge in the trade between India and China.
He disclosed that this proposal of India had received positive response from Nepal. As a result, India and Nepal have decided to improve the infrastructure of the existing four customs to meet the needs of the increasing cross-border trade in the future.
Mr. Chatterjee held that if Nepal could act as a trade bridge between China and India, two big countries in Asia, it would bring down not only the bilateral trade costs between India and China, but also bring forth a new trade and investment opportunity for Nepal.
(From page 7 of the People's Daily on Feb.3, 2004)