Commerce ministry team to visit China to discuss trade deficit

A high-powered Indian commerce ministry delegation would visit Beijing next week for talks with Chinese officials to discuss initiatives to broaden market access for Indian products in China and address India's concerns over the ballooning trade deficit. Days after Premier Li Keqiang's visit, Commerce Secretary S R Rao along with Additional Secretaries Rajiv Kher and J S Deepak would arrive in Beijing on a four-day visit from May 27 to take part in the Global Services Forum being organised by UNCTAD, the UN trade agency and the prestigious China International Fair for Trade and Services. The meetings would take place in the immediate backdrop of Li's visit to India this week where he said China understands India's concerns over the trade deficit which ballooned to $28.87 billion in 2012 from $9.38 billion in 2007.