'India, China have huge potential for economic & trade cooperation'

Kolkata: China and India share extensive common interests and have huge potential for economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, said Zha Liyou, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Kolkata on Tuesday.

"As two ancient civilizations living side by side for thousands of years, China and India share extensive common interests and have huge potential for economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. In the first half year, China-India trade volume hit a record high with a year-on-year increase of 62.7 per cent. We should work together to promote the sound development of bilateral economic cooperation for the benefit of our people," said Zha Liyou, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Kolkata, on the sidelines of hosting an online meet of the Celebration of the 72nd National Day of the People's Republic of China over Zoom.

We also need to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, increase mutual trust, properly manage differences, and firmly sticks to the correct direction of China-India relations, Zha added.

Talking about the severe challenges being faced due to the worldly economic downturn, Zha Liyou said that China promotes the resumption of production in an orderly manner, and actively maintains the stability of the global industrial supply chain, which is conducive to world economic recovery.

"China also vigorously enhances the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" initiative and provides new development opportunities for the world," Zha Liyou said.

Further elaborating, Mr Zha explained that in the face of anachronistic unilateralism and protectionism, China holds high the banner of multilateralism, adheres to the path of peaceful development, actively participates in global governance and international cooperation in coping with the threats from climate change, cyber security and terrorism etc. and advocates the building of a

community with a shared future for mankind.

When being asked to comment on the growth in China, Mr Zha said that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China continues its socialist development this year. In the first half of this year, China's GDP has increased 12.7 per cent year-on-year.

COVID-19 is well controlled. Major scientific and technological breakthroughs continue to emerge. And all the poor people are lifted out of poverty.