China Ready To Address Trade Concerns With India
China has said it is ready to work with India to address each other’s economic and trade concerns in a balanced manner, signalling a possible push towards greater cooperation in bilateral commerce.
The statement came a day after Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss India-China trade and economic ties.
“Met with Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, and discussed India-China trade and economic ties,” Goyal said in a social media post on Sunday.
The Chinese embassy in India said Beijing was prepared to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in economic and trade areas.
“India is an important neighbour of China. China stands ready to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic and trade fields, properly address each other’s economic and trade concerns in a balanced manner, and better benefit enterprises and people of both countries,” Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in India, said in a social media post on Monday.
The latest developments follow a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 2 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Xi said India and China should view each other as partners rather than rivals and regard development opportunities as opportunities for cooperation rather than threats.
Xi also called for an “objective and rational strategic perception” of bilateral ties and urged both countries to draw on each other’s strengths, support one another and pursue common development.
The economic relationship, however, remains heavily skewed in China’s favour. India’s goods exports to China stood at US$ 7.8 billion during April-July of FY27, while imports were significantly higher at US$ 52.7 billion.
In FY26, India imported around US$ 131.6 billion worth of goods from China, compared with exports of US$ 19.5 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of more than US$ 112 billion.
The widening trade imbalance remains a key concern for India as it seeks greater market access for its products in China while also encouraging domestic manufacturing and reducing excessive dependence on imports.
For Indian industries, particularly textiles, chemicals, machinery and other manufacturing segments, improved access to the Chinese market could provide opportunities to diversify exports. At the same time, the high level of imports underscores the competitive pressure faced by domestic producers from Chinese products.
The meeting between the two commerce ministers is therefore significant as both countries look to place bilateral economic ties on a more stable footing following recent efforts to improve broader relations.
