Tibet Autonomous Region Chairman Qiangba Puncog met with a visiting Indian commercial and trade delegation in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Saturday evening.

 

The seven-member delegation arrived in Lhasa, on Saturday afternoon to negotiate with China the reopening of the Natu La Pass border market which has been closed for more than 40 years.

 

Qiangba said Tibet has achieved rapid economic growth, with the annual GDP growth above 12 percent in the past five years, which is higher than the country's average.

 

At the same time, Tibet has improved its infrastructure, said the chairman, stressing that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will help Tibet's opening to the outside. The railway is scheduled to undergo trail operations beginning on July 1.

 

Qiangba said China and India's friendship has a long history and the economic and trade cooperation between the two nations have been close in recent years.

 

He said the Chinese government attaches great importance to bilateral economic and trade cooperation and is preparing for reopening the border market at Natu La Pass.

 

Christy Fernandez, head of the delegation, who is also the Secretary of Department of Commerce of Government of India, said India is expecting more open bilateral trade with China. The Natu La Pass is 4,545 meters above sea level, and is 460 kilometers away from Lhasa and 550 kilometers from the Indian coastal city of Calcutta. It used to be an important trade passage between China and India.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2006)