New Delhi: India is hopeful that China would allow entry of 14 items in the category of fruits and vegetables under a bilateral trade agreement, Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said here today.

Under the India-China bilateral WTO accession agreement of February 2000,both sides have signed a sanitary and phyto-sanitary protocol to facilitate exports of Indian fresh fruits and vegetable to China.

Commenting on diversifying its trade basket, Ramesh said Chinese side has allowed entry for only three items mangoes, grapes and bitter-gourd of the 17.

The minister expressed hope that the pending fruits and vegetables would be grouped into two sanitary and phyto-sanitary protocols for finalising them simultaneously, according to the release.

Interacting with the business delegation here led by the Chinese Vice Trade Minister Gao Hucheng, he said China is India s biggest trading partner and India is China s tenth largest trading partner.

Ramesh also said that both the countries should look at exploring the possibility of commencing discussions on a mutually beneficial RTA (Regional Trade Agreement) that meets the common aspirations of both countries.

Both sides noted that there is a need to increase bilateral investments between the countries, particularly in sectors like petrochemicals, steel, healthcare, IT automobiles, biotechnology, advanced materials, renewable energy and low carbon technologies.

Talking about India s trade with China the Commerce Secretary G K Pillai had yesterday said that the bilateral trade would touch the 100-billion dollar mark in the next five years and is expected to cross 50 billion dollar by the end of this fiscal.

During 2007-08,India s major exports to China comprised iron ore, raw cotton and ores and minerals.
Source : PTI