New Delhi
30 August 2006
China will seek to strengthen the strategic cooperative partnership
for peace and prosperity with India when President Hu Jintao visits New Delhi later this
year, Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi told this newspaper.
"President Hu Jintao will visit India later this year ... the dates are being worked out
through diplomatic channels," Ambassador Sun Yuxi on Wednesday said on the
sidelines of the release of a book titled "My Life With Kotnis".
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said the visit by Chinese president is
expected to take place in November. India and China are celebrating 2006 as the
Friendship Year and hosting several events to mark the occasion.
The Chinese envoy said Beijing and New Delhi were in the process of negotiating a
number of agreements on investment protection and trade promotion. Also under
discussed is a free trade agreement between the two countries.
"Negotiations are on for signing a regional trade arrangement ... in India you call it free
trade agreement ... it is expected to be formalised during the visit of President Hu Jintao
to India later this year," he told this correspondent.
In response to a question, he said India and China would discuss "future plans" for
border trade through the Nathu-La Pass in Sikkim as a "follow-up" to the reopening of
this Pass on July 6 after 44 years of the route being closed.
"Talks would centre around improving the infrastructure like widening of road to allow
movement of containers, better market facilities and increasing the number of
commodities as per the desires of the people," he said.
The Chinese envoy said that the "future plans" for cooperation could also extend to
improvement of transportation links via sea and railway. The bilateral trade is expected
to exceed 20 billion dollars this year, he added.
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