E-Paper
India-China cross-border trade resumes after 6 years
The cross-border trade had remained suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent strain in India-China border relations.
The cross-border trade between India and China through the routes of Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim resumed on Saturday after a gap of six years.
Trade had remained suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent strain in India-China border relations.
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Reopening ceremony in Sikkim
In Sikkim, a reopening ceremony was held at Nathula with both nations’ participation. Sikkim’s commerce and industries department secretary Karma D Youtso said seasonal trade will be conducted from Monday to Thursday until November under the existing bilateral trade protocol.
“Thirty-eight registered traders have been issued trade passes this year. Around 36 notified items, including handicrafts, handloom products, traditional religious articles, ready-made garments and other approved goods, will be traded through the route,” Youtso said.
Cross-border trade resumes through Shipki La
In Himachal Pradesh, the cross-border trade resumed through Shipki La, known as the ancient silk route joining India with Tibet. State’s revenue and horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi on Saturday flagged off 16 traders and their horses towards Shipki village in Tibet.
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Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi says
In Uttarakhand, a group of 20 Indian traders, accompanied by four helpers, crossed into China’s Tibet Autonomous Region through the Lipulekh Pass on Saturday. “The first batch has travelled without carrying any trade goods. The purpose of the visit is to assess the facilities available in Tibet and explore business opportunities to facilitate border trade during the current season,” Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said, adding that Chinese authorities have allowed entry only to those Indian traders who had left unsold goods in Tibet in 2019 before cross-border trade came to a halt.
He said the traders will visit their godowns at Pulan market in Taklakot, Tibet, where their goods are stored since 2019.
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Officials said the border trade season will continue till the end of October this year. However, it may be extended till November if both the Indian and Chinese sides agree to the proposal. The initial visit is expected to pave the way for the gradual resumption of cross-border trading activities through one of the country’s oldest traditional Himalayan trade routes.
(with inputs from agencies)
