Respected Mr. Ma Chunzhi, Vice President of China Foreign Trade Centre, Mr. Ajay Sahai, Director General of FIEO
Friends from Business Communities & Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very much honored to attend today’s Promotion Conference of the 115th session of China Import and Export Fair. First of all, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India, I would like to extend my warmest welcome & sincere gratitude to all of you for your long-term efforts and valuable support to the development of China-India cooperation relations.
As two close neighbors, China and India enjoyed good relationship for the past 2,000 years. In recent years, with joint efforts of the leaders and peoples of the two countries, China-India relations are undergoing a new phase of evolvement. Last year in particular, following Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to India in May, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited China in October--the first time for Prime Ministers of both sides to exchange visits within one year since 1954.
The bilateral trade between China and Inida registered fast growth in the past twenty years, with the volume reaching $66.5 billion in 2012, 250 times of that for 1990. Currently, with global financial crisis still lingering, emerging economies including China and India were impacted to various degrees, as a result of which, China-India trade slowed down a little bit further last year. Last year it stood at $ 65.47 billion, representing 1.5% decrease. Last October China decided to launch a fresh round of reform and opening up. It will open a new era for its development. We believe that our two-way trade and investment will gain new momentum.
China Import and Export Fair, also renowned as Canton Fair, is the largest of its kind. It has witnessed friendly political, economic and cultural exchanges between China and the other part of the world and has become a “road to friendship and a bridge to trade”, connecting Chinese and foreign business communities.
The upcoming 115th session of China Canton Fair will be held from 15th April to 5th May, 2014. Today we are having the Promotion Conference here in New Delhi to brief you the new progress of the Canton Fair, which demonstrates the great importance China attaches to the participation of the Indian business communities. On behalf of the Embassy of People’s Republic of China, I sincerely welcome all the Indian friends from various business circles to attend the 115th Canton Fair, not only to showcase your products and services, but also to interact with Chinese businessmen and those from the other part of the world. Chinese Embassy will spare no efforts to facilitate your participation. I believe that the 115th China Canton Fair will be graced with your support.
Finally, I wish all of you a great prosperity!
Thank you!
