India, China ink eight agreements on trade, water resources

New Delhi: Weeks after the flare-up on the border issue, India and China today sought to further improve their bilateral relations and firmed up eight agreements to enhance cooperation in a range of areas including trade, culture and water resources. The agreements were signed after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. To enhance trade, both the sides decided to set up three working groups under the Joint Economic Group. The three groups are Services Trade Promotion Working Group, Economic And Trade Planning Cooperation Group and Trade Statistical Analysis Group. The pact for setting up of the working groups was signed by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his Chinese counterpart Gao Hucheng. In 2012, bilateral trade between the two countries was USD 66 billion, a decline from over the USD 74 billion mark in 2011. The two countries have set a target of USD 100 billion by 2015 for bilateral trade. As per an agreement signed by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China will make further improvements to the existing facilities for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims including providing them with wireless sets and local SIM cards. The Kailash Mansrovar Yatra will be conducted every year from May to September. Another pact was signed between the two sides under which China will provide information of water level, discharge and rainfall twice a day from June 1st to October 15th each year in respect of three hydrological stations on the mainstream Brahmaputra river. A separate Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the India`s Ministry of Water Resources and China`s National Development and Reform Commission for cooperation in the field of ensuring water efficient irrigation. The MoU aims at enhancing bilateral cooperation in the field of water efficient technology with applicability in the area of agriculture and exchange of best practices. Both the sides firmed another pact aimed at strengthening mutual cooperation in trade and safety of buffalo meat, fish products. The pact will also provide for regulatory requirements with respect to safety, hygiene and quarantine of such products. An MoU was also signed between the Ministry of Urban Development and National Development and Reform Commission of China on cooperation in the field of sewage treatment. It will provide for enhancing cooperation in the field of sewage treatment and experience sharing in the areas of mutual interest in urban sectors. Both sides also decided to coordinate translation and publication of 25 books of classic and contemporary works of each side over a period of five years into Chinese and Indian languages, respectively. Another pact was signed between the Ministry of External Affairs and China`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate cooperation and linkages between cities and provinces of the two countries. Both sides agreed to identify "sister cities" and "sister states/provinces" in India and China with a view to establish relationships between them in areas of mutual interest for enhancing greater people-to-people contacts. PTI