Both China and India are keen to revive a centuries-old Himalayan trade route between the two Asian giants by setting up infrastructure on both sides of the border, Indo-Asian News Service reported.

Trade via the 15,000-foot-high Shipki La pass in the tribal district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh in north India was opened in 1993 but trade has hardly picked up for want of infrastructure, raising concerns on both sides. Although a few Indian traders have been visiting the Chinese side, even fewer have entered India from China, say Indian officials.

Indian Officials say the biggest need was a 10-km motorable road between Hobsang and Chuppan so that the Indian side market became accessible. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has been requested to carry out the road construction.

The value of border export and import in this area was below 1 million US dollars every year, said Himachal Chief Secretary Surjit Singh Parmar.

On the Indian side, the trade market is at Chuppan, some two kilometers from the pass. Traders come to a common point in no man 's land for trading, he added.

The high altitude market remains operational from June 1 to Nov. 30 due to heavy snowfall for the rest of the year in the region.

The Indian government under the import and export policy (1992- 97) had notified items for import and export. India's export items include cloth, pulses, edible oils, sugar, milk powder, sewing machines, vegetables, cigarettes, radios and carpets, said Parmar.

India's import items include sheep, woolens, pashmina shawls, jackets, crockery, yaks, yak tails and horses.

Source: Xinhua