China’s envoy to India Luo Zhaohui today informally pitched a summit among India, Pakistan and China on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to improve regional relations. He also said that China is ready to negotiate a bilateral trade arrangement with India to expand trade relations.
“Some Indian friends suggested that India, China and Pakistan may have some kind of trilateral summit on the sidelines of SCO,” said Luo, at a seminar in New Delhi titled “Beyond Wuhan: How Far and Fast Can China-India Relations Go”. The title of the seminar referred to the meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping had in Wuhan, China in April. Luo said China, Russia and Mongolia had a similar summit, so he sees no reason why India, Pakistan and China can’t. He added that peace along the borders is in the interests of all nations.
Addressing media at the Institute of Chinese Studies, the Chinese envoy said, “We would like to negotiate a bilateral trade arrangement with India to expand trade relations. We may encourage economic cooperation on major projects such as new industrial parks and high-speed railway.” He further said that China will import more sugar, non-Basmati rice and high-quality medicines from India to reduce the trade imbalance.
“We cannot stand another Doklam incident. Let’s make a joint effort to maintain peace along the border,” he said referring to last year’s 73-day-long border standoff at the India-China-Bhutan trijunction. Such disputes, Luo tweeted, need a mutually acceptable solution.
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