From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Former Union Minister, Vincent H Pala visualised both India and China partnering the ‘great Asian dream’ through increasing trade and commerce and people to people contact.
Pala was speaking at the first China-South Asia Expo held at Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, on Thursday. The five-day expo aims at promoting China-South Asia cooperation and development, and sharing of mutual benefits.
Addressing the Expo as head of the Indian delegation, Pala said that from a mere 3 billion dollar trade in the beginning of the decade, the volume has now soared to 66.57 billion dollars.
“We must make it touch 100 billion dollars in 2015 as planned and our economy is assiduously attempting to graduate into production from a services economy,” he said.
Pala suggested for effectively removing the language barrier for trade by interfacing Indians with more English speaking Chinese and establishing single window China Trade Points for access to information and services in every State in India.
He also suggested for allowing the Indian service sector to take roots in almost all parts of China for expanding Indian trade in the service sector.
The MP from Shillong said that there should be standardizing of the quality of goods produced and exported into India so that durability is enhanced.
“The expo will be an event integrating commodity trade, service trade, investment cooperation, tourism cooperation and cultural exchanges and has special significance to our region. China and South Asian countries share a long-standing relationship and traditional friendship between our people,” Pala said.
