Chindia trade

India and China will kick-start discussions next month covering a spectrum of sectors aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $100 billion (Rs4,60,000 crore) by 2015 under a `Strategic Economic Dialogue' -a move seen as an attempt to mend a relationship fraught with disputes between two of the world's greatest emerging economic powers.
Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia will lead a delegation to Beijing in the last week of September to define the broad contours of a framework for enhanced economic cooperation in the energy, steel, telecommunications, banking, technology and pharmaceuticals sectors among others.
Zhang Ping, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) -the Planning Commission equivalent in China -will lead discussions on behalf of the world's fastest-growing economy during the two-day talks beginning September 26.
The two countries had agreed to establish the dialogue during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in December 2010.
New and renewable energy sources are expected to be one area where the two can cooperate to their mutual benefit.India's 12th five-year plan (2012-16) calls for generating more power through renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Likewise, China's 12th fiveyear plan (2011-15) focuses on a greener approach to economic growth. India has also sought market access for 17 fruits and vegetables including mango, guava, grapes, watermelons, papayas and pomegranates.
An official source said discussions will focus on India's participation in trade fairs in China, trade facilitation, enhancing exchange and cooperation of pharmaceutical supervision, stronger relationships between Chinese enterprises and the Indian IT industry, and speedier completion of phyto-sanitary negotiations on agricultural products. China, which fought a brief and bitter mountain war with India in 1962, is India's largest trading partner. It is also the single largest source of imports, with a share of over 10% of India's total imports of $351 billion (R1,614,600 crore) in 2010-11. China has accused India of adopting anti-trade measures, allegations New Delhi has denied.
In turn, India has blamed Beijing for imposing non-tariff barriers to prevent access to its market. India also believes the Chinese government is blocking entry of fruits and vegetables on grounds not necessarily economic, an official said.
Then there have been instances of Chinese pharma firms selling medicines with `made in India' labels in Africa.In June 2008, the Nigerian Government Drug Regulatory Authority seized a large consignment of fake anti-malarial generic pharmaceuticals with the India tag but allegedly produced in China, said a commerce ministry official here. The tablets could have affected some 642,000 customers.
The issue of Chinese people working in India will also feature in the discussions.
India has also put quality restrictions on mobile phones, dairy products and toys in a measure primarily aimed at blocking the flood of cheap import from China.
India's Directorate-General of Foreign Trade said mobile handsets without the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) number, which helps authorities track the sale and use of the phones, cannot be imported. While no official estimates are available, industry sources estimate close to one million such phones enter India from China every month.