Indian Chamber of Commerce has urged the central government to consider opening up trade routes through north-eastern states to Myanmar and beyond to the business hubs of south-eastern China.

This could then be linked up to the proposed Asian Highway to link up with Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and onward to south-east Asian countries.”

To enhance economic exchange between India and China, IC has harped on the centrality of opening up of land routes through Kunming province in China, through Myanmar, since Yunnan in Kunming was strategically connected to Guangzhou, Canton and Shanghai, the powerhouses of China. More than Nathu-La, this eastern trade route would boost business, Thapar said.

It would be necessary to negotiate for transport transit through Bangladesh, which would help both Bangladesh and India, with increased access to China through Myanmar. The port route via Chittagong would also have to be improved.

ICON would boost regional development in eastern and north-eastern India, south-east China, Bangladesh, Nepal Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and “Calcutta could be the key location for connecting the eastern region of India to the rest of the sub-region.”

Joint venture opportunities existed in areas such as tea, bamboo and silk. Sourcing opportunities could service China’s manufacturing sector with components and raw materials, like products from Haldia Petrochemicals feeding Chinese plastic goods units.

India and China could could jointly create an integrated international tourist circuit linking eastern and north-eastern Indian states, China, the Greater Mekong Region and South East Asia.