India, China to step up trade relations: PM

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

On Board Air India One, Jan 16: Prime Minister Manmohan Singhtoday said he and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao had agreed to takeforward the trade process between the two countries and enhancebilateral trade to 40 billion dollars by 2010.

Talking to journalists on his way back from the India- ASEAN andEast Asia summits in Cebu, the Philippines, Dr Singh said they alsoagreed on the need to complete the work of the Joint Study Group ontrade at the earliest.

The group is expected to submit its report by October this yearafter which the two sides are likely to begin negotiations on a FreeTrade Area (FTA) agreement.

The two Prime Ministers had met at Cebu on Sunday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, where India is a dialogue partner.

''We had a very good discussion covering all facets of our relations,'' he said.

Dr Singh said he and Mr Wen had also agreed on the need to moveforward on the boundary question between the two countries and toaccelerate the pace of talks between the Special Representatives (SRs)of the two countries on this issue.

National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Chinese Vice-PremierDai Bingguo, the SRs of the two countries, will hold the ninth round oftheir talks in Delhi for three days from tomorrow.

Dr Singh said the talks would be held on the basis of theagreement on political parameters and guiding principles reachedbetween the two countries during Mr Wen's visit to India in 2005.

He said Mr Wen had reaffirmed Chinese President Hu Jintao'sinvitation to him to visit China. ''I have agreed to visit China in thelater half of this year,'' he added.

Dr Singh also had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

At the meeting with Lt Gen Soe Win of Myanmar, the two sides reviewedthe progress of steps against insurgent groups taking shelter in thatcountry. The Myanmarese leader assured Dr Singh that, whenevereffective information is given, his government would assist India intackling this problem.

During his talks with Mr Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, the twosides reviewed the progress of implementation of their ComprehensiveEconomic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and expressed their determinationto move forward on it.

Dr Singh invited Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to visit India, which he has agreed to do.

''We have excellent relations dating back to Ho Chi Minh andJawaharlal Nehru. We expressed our determination to take forward ourcooperation,'' he said.

Dr Singh discussed various bilateral issues with Mr Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia.

He also met Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and thetwo agreed that cooperation between their countries was far belowpotential.

''There is tremendous scope for expanding our cooperation ineconomy, security, the fight against terrorism, and defence-relatedissues,'' he added.


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