The Hindu : Front Page : Two new border trade points mooted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 22, 2006
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Two new border trade points mooted

Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI: India has proposed the opening of two more border trade points with China — Demchok in Ladakh and Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh — senior officials familiar with talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao asserted on Tuesday.

A joint declaration said they "shall strengthen border trade through existing locations while continuing to explore the possibility of opening additional trading routes in India-China border areas."

Acknowledging the resumption of border trade through the Nathu La, the declaration stated, "Both sides shall promote greater trans-border cooperation at mutually agreed sites in India-China border areas with the objective of transforming their border from being a dividing line into a bridge that united them in cooperative results."

The document also held that energy security constituted a "vital and strategic issue" for both producing and consuming countries alike. "It is consistent with the common interest of the two sides to establish an international energy order, which is fair, equitable, secure and stable, and to the benefit of the entire international community."

"Both sides shall also make joint efforts, bilaterally and in multilateral fora, to diversify the global energy mix and to increase the share inrenewable resources," the declaration stressed.

After agreeing to set up an expert-level mechanism on issues relating to cross-border rivers, the two sides agreed to "continue bilateral discussions" to finalise at an early date the provision of hydrological data relating to the Parlung Zangbo and Lohit/Zaya Qu rivers in line with the existing arrangements for the Brahmaputra/Yarlung Zangbo and Sutlej/Langqen Zangbo rivers.

The two governments also agreed to discuss collaboration in the digitisation of Buddhist manuscripts available in China as well as the redevelopment of Nalanda as a major centre for learning with the establishment of an international university on the basis of regional cooperation.

According to the joint declaration, India and China agreed to hold regular exchange of views on the emerging security situation in the Asia-Pacific and in the world.

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