Amit Mitra, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry said on Saturday that India is keen on the cooperation with China.

Good political relations and comparative advantages in economic development in China and India lay a good foundation for the connection and cooperation between the two nations, especially in trade, investment, tourism and culture, Mitra said in an interview with Xinhua on the eve of the opening of the 2003 Boao Forum for Asia in southernmost China's Hainan Province.

Chinese statistics show that bilateral trade between India and China exceeded US$4.9 billion in 2002, up 37 percent year-on-year, and reached US$2.9 billion during the first five months of the year, up 70 percent year-on-year.

Bilateral trade is expected to hit US$10 billion in 2005.

India has great advantages in information, biological, and pharmaceutical industries, he said, adding that India can learn from China's experiences in economic, cultural and educational development.

The combination of China's hardware facilities with India's software technologies would likely give a boost to the development of the two nations that could lead to other areas, he said.

Haier Group, one of China's leading manufacturers of electric household appliances, has received Indian approval to make huge investments in factories in India, becoming China's largest manufacturing investor in India, said Mitra.

The opportunity of cooperation between China and India is a greater force than is pressure between the two, said Mitra.

(China Daily November 3, 2003)