Beijing: China's much-touted import expo has opened in Shanghai without the presence of Indian businesses, significantly in a year when the Sino-India trade is poised to touch a record $100 billion.
The China International Import Expo (CIIE) was formally inaugurated by Chinese President Xi Jinping through a video link on Thursday.
Participants at the expo in the eastern metropolis said most of the firms and businesses from abroad were represented by their local agents in view of China's rigid COVID-19 travel restrictions.
This year's expo, which was started four years ago to address global complaints of China's business model of export more and import less.
Officials say China's current blanket ban on travel between the two countries citing COVID-19 protocols as the main reason for the lack of presence of Indian business houses.
Since last year, China has stopped issuing visas for Indians and currently, there are no flights in operation between the two countries due to which over 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine in Chinese colleges as well as hundreds of Indian businessmen and their families, were stranded back home.
In the past, Indian trade and businesses had shown interest in the last three expos in
Shanghai.
In 2019, an Indian delegation headed by Commerce Secretary, Anup Wadhawan participated in the inaugural function and held talks with the Chinese officials on addressing India's concerns over the trade deficit.
Apart from the bilateral tensions over the continuing military standoff in eastern Ladakh that began in May last year, officials say the Indian businesses were apparently not enthused this year as they found it not lucrative in view of the difficulties in breaking into the Chinese markets.
Significantly, the expo was being held without India's presence at a time when the bilateral trade appears to be on course to touch record $100
billion.