It was an interesting contrast of spiritual and commercial gain for India during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping as China not only opened its purse for India’s economic growth, but also the new route to Tibet via Nathu la (Sikkim) for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims.
This will be an additional route to the existing lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and will remain open even during the rainy season, allowing more pilgrims to reach Kailash Mansarovar through a motorable route that will reduce the hardship and journey time.
An elated Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Xi Jinping for allowing Indian pilgrims to use this shorter route to Kailash Mansarovar. “On behalf of the people of India, I thank President Xi Jinping for opening a new route through Nathu la to Kailash Mansarovar. The new route offers many benefits. It makes Kailash Mansarovar accessible by a motorable road, which is especially beneficial to the older pilgrims. It offers a safer alternative in the rainy season, makes the pilgrimage shorter in duration, and will enable a much higher number of pilgrims to go there,” Modi said. Xi Jinping acknowledged Modi’s gesture by saying he was happy to open the new route for Mansarovar.
Modi announced that the two countries have decided to begin the process of discussions on civil nuclear energy cooperation that will bolster the broader cooperation on energy security.
China also committed to make investments worth $20 billion over the next five years in India, besides helping reduce the trade imbalance by opening the market for Indian companies in certain sectors. In all 12 agreements were signed on Thursday that aimed at cooperation in boosting tourism and connectivity.
China will help India with high-speed trains, world-class railway stations, a Railway University besides helping with rejuvenation of the ageing Indian Railway system.
After the PM highlighted the trade imbalance and trade deficit Xi Jinping promised Modi to take concrete steps in this regard and give market access in pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and export of services.“We agreed that our economic relations do not do justice to our potential. I expressed concern at the slowdown in trade and the worsening trade imbalance. I sought his partnership in improving market access and investment opportunities for Indian companies in China,”Modi said.
“President Xi assured me of his commitment to take concrete steps to address our concerns. I have invited Chinese investments in India`s infrastructure and manufacturing sectors and spoke about our new policies and administrative steps in this area," Modi said.
China will set up two industrial parks in Gujarat and Maharashtra while more investment opportunities are being worked out. Besides, Mumbai-Shanghai and Ahmedabad- Guangzhou will be groomed as `sister cities' with more people-to-people exchanges and collaboration in infrastructure development.
India and China also signed an agreement that would enable producers from both countries to get an opportunity to pool their creative, artistic, technical, financial and marketing resources to co-produce films.
An MoU for enhanced customs cooperation, on cooperation in the peaceful use of Space including research and development of scientific experiment satellites, remote sensing satellites and communications satellites; for collaboration between various cultural institutions of the two countries include museums, archaeological organizations and performing art centers were also signed. It was agreed that China will participate in the New Delhi World Book Fair 2016 as the Guest of Honour Country besides agreements to help provide greater access to their nationals of publications of the other side. India and China will also carry out cooperation in fields of drug standards, traditional medicine and drug testing. China will train 1,500 Indian teachers in Mandarin besides sending 500 of its own teachers to India to teach the language here.