China Considering Free-Trade Area With India - Official
BEIJING (AP)--Beijing is considering holding talks with India on creating a free-trade area, said an official quoted Monday by a state news agency, ahead of a visit by President Hu Jintao to New Delhi.
Trade between the Asian giants has soared since they agreed in 2002 to focus on nurturing economic ties after decades of hostility. Last July, they reopened a Himalayan border crossing that was closed 44 years earlier during a border war.
"Following the reopening of the trade post on the Indian-Chinese border, our government is considering FTA talks with India," said Fu Ziying, an assistant commerce minister, quoted by the Xinhua News Agency.
The report didn't say whether India had agreed to such talks or when they might take place.
Hu is due to visit New Delhi this month.
Such a trade area would bring together the world's most populous and second-most populous nations, with a total of 2.4 billion people.
Total trade last year between the two countries was about $18 billion. Xinhua said that figure was expected to rise to $20 billion this year.
China is holding FTA talks with Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
China and India agreed in September to create a Cabinet-level body to promote joint technology development and said they would sign a final agreement during Hu's visit to New Delhi.
中国政府或与印度进行自由贸易谈判
中国官方媒体新华社(Xinhua News Agency)在国家主席胡锦涛即将访问印度之际援引一名官员的话报导称，中国政府正在考虑就建立自由贸易区问题与印度进行磋商。
自中印两国在2002年同意结束数十年的对抗、共同扩大经济联系后，双边贸易规模已呈现激增势头。
新华社周一在报导中援引商务部部长助理傅自应的话说，随着中印边境重新开通贸易口岸，中国政府眼下正考虑与印度商谈建立自由贸易区的问题。
报导没有提及印度是否同意进行此类商谈，也未说到具体的时间表。
胡锦涛将于本月访问新德里。
自由贸易区将把世界上人口最多的国家和人口第二大国家的共计24亿人口联合起来。
去年中印两国间的双边贸易额约为180亿美元。新华社表示，这一数字今年有望增至200亿美元。
当前中国正与新加坡、澳大利亚、新西兰、巴基斯坦以及东南亚国家联盟(Association of Southeast Asian Nations,简称：东盟)进行自由贸易谈判。
9月份，中印两国同意建立一内阁级别机构以促进技术开发合作，并称将在胡锦涛访印期间签署相关最终协议。
