Gandhinagar (Press release of Govt of Gujarat) Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated China-India-Gujarat Economic and Trade Co-operation Confernce-2019, jointly organized by China’s Guangdong Province Department of Commerce, FICCI Gujarat Council and iNDEXTb, here today.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that China and India are playing a very important role in the global economic order, with Gujarat performing a special part. He said there is need to chart out the future chart for development between the two countries, the two countries sharing one-third of the world’s total population and both having abundance of youth power.

He recalled that Chinese President’s visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 launched a new chapter of co-operation between the two nations.Gujarat’s high-level delegation’s visit to China and vice versa in 2016 and 2018 before the biennial Gujarat Global Vibrant Summits further strengthened the relations between the two provinces in business, trade, educational and cultural fields.

Mr. Rupani said the agreement between Gujarat and Guangdong as Sister States opened up doors of more cooperation He said that Gujarat providing business-friendly environment is developing at fastest rate among Indian states as it also have special relation with several countries.

With 5% of India’s population and 6% of area, he said, Gujarat contributes to 8% of India’s GDP and 22% of exports. Gujarat has 48 ports, 17 airports, 19 SEZs, 8 SIRs, over 200 Industrial Estates, best infrastructure as it has become an auto manufacturing hub. Several leading Industrial houses have set up plants, started business and made their second home.

Communist Party of China (CPC) Politburo Central Committee Member and Guangdong Party Secretary Li Xi said that he is keen to take the co-operation between the two provinces to new horizons, over and above successful implementation of several MoUs.

FICCI Gujarat State Council Chairman Deepak Mehtasaid that electrical and electronic goods, medical, chemical and food-processing comprise the major commodities between the two nations. Although Guangdong has 5% of China’s population, he said, it contributes to 10% of GDP. India’s business with China through Silk Route is 500 years old. He stressed the need for need-based production and gave the call for Way To Gujarat (WTG). He exuded confidence of taking Indo-China trade to $ 200 billion in two years.

Guangdong Province Department of Commerce Deputy Director-General Ma Hua conducted the programme.

The conference was attended by Gujarat Chief Secretary J.N. Singh, Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary K. Kailahnathan, Principal Secretary M.K. Das, senior bureaucrats Mukesh Puri, D. Thara, JaiprakashShivhare and RajkumarBeniwal, Chinese Ambassador Li Bijian and a number of Indo-Chinese trade delegates.

– Information department