The Hindu Business Line : Nathula Pass reopened after 44 years

Around 9 a.m. this morning, the "Old Silk Route" was reopened for border trade between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China, 44 years after it was halted following the Indo-China war in 1962.

A delegation of about 90 Chinese traders, led by the Chairman of TAR, Mr Champa Phunstok, walked past the border to a rousing, red-carpet welcome by Dr Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim, his Cabinet colleagues and a 100-strong trading community of Sikkim. Mr Sun Yuxi, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to India, was also present on the occasion.

From now onwards, traders from Sikkim and their Chinese counterparts can trade in select items through the Nathula Pass four days a week between June 1 and September 30 each year. Twenty-nine commodities can be freely exported from India even as 15 items can be freely imported from China by traders who would be provided with valid trade passes for the purpose.

Speaking at the historic occasion, the Sikkim Chief Minister, Dr Pawan Chamling, said the reopening of the Nathula Pass "augurs well for the collective well being of both our countries".

He said the people of Sikkim had been aspiring for the reopening of the trade route through Nathula for the resumption of economic and cultural ties between India and China.

"We have a huge depository of natural resources. We are one of the bio-diversity hot-spots. Therefore, there is an enormous scope for co-operation in sustainable management of natural resources," he said.

Mr Chamling presented a strong case for integrating trade and tourism, especially Buddhist circuit tourism.

"This is why we have in mind to propose a Sikkim-Lhasa bus service at an appropriate time," he said, adding that "this beginning, on all counts, has been made for the bigger things to come for people from both sides of the country. People from both the countries will stand to witness this event as a harbinger of flourishing trade, deeper understanding, wider co-operation and durable friendship between these two emerging world powers from Asia," he said.

In his brief address, the Chairman of TAR of China, Mr Champa Phunstok, said the opening up of the Nathula Pass would benefit the economies of both China and India.

Later, inaugurating the Trade Mart at Sherathang, seven km before the Nathula Pass on the Gangtok-Nathula route, Mr Chamling said it would be imperative to upgrade the present nascent level of infrastructure "to a robust and modern system" that can handle a major portion of bilateral trade between India and China.

"We shall have to constantly revise the list of tradable items that would pass through this shortest land route between India and China," he said.

Dr Chamling said the land route could be used for trade in services including collaboration in areas such as biotechnology, investment, tourism and IT.

"We expect that this trade route will change the basic structure of the Sikkimese economy by refocussing on our comparative advantages like harnessing of natural resources, emphasis on eco-tourism and other service-related activities," he said.

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