Lhasa (AsiaNews) China and India are set to reopen a transport and trade route that was closed 44 years ago. The Nathu Pass on the border between the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Indian state of Sikkim is 460 km from Lhasa and 550 km fromKolkata.
After putting off the event in 2003, 2005 and then in March 2006, senior officials from China and India will preside over the opening ceremony in the border town of Yadong
The new cross-border route is expected to facilitate trade relations between the two Asian giants, especially in the areas of farm animals, wool, iron and electrical tools.
Nathu Pass route was first opened in the late 1800s. As part of the wider Silk Road network it linked China and India, East and West. It was shut down in 1962 when border disputes sparked military conflict.
Even today, despite a cautious rapprochement between the two powers (and China's recognition of India's annexation of Sikkim), there still are some outstanding territorial disputes. India opposes China's occupation of 32,000 km2 of Kashmiri territory, whilst China claims the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
With Nathu Pass's reopening, transportation costs between China and India are expected to drop substantially. Currently, most trade has to take the sea route between Shanghai and Kolkata.