Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 20 (ANI): Consul General of China in Kolkata, Xu Wei, remarked on the advancing relationship between New Delhi and Beijing, noting the improvement in bilateral trade relations and people-to-people relations.

Speaking after attending a special session on Indo-China trade and development of North East, Xu Wei said, 'Under the strategic guidance of both our leaders, China-India relations are now moving toward advancement. We are very glad to see our bilateral trade relations also making great progress. Our bilateral trade last year recorded the highest trade volume in recent years.'

Xu Wei encouraged businessmen to visit China to explore possibilities of cooperation, while noting the steps taken by the consulate to expedite the Visa process.

'We expect China-India relations, especially trade relations, to move toward a healthy track. We encourage the business community in East India to visit China more often. The Consulate General is always ready to facilitate any kind of request. Many people are concerned about visa issues because we have recently launched a new online system, which may take a little longer time. However, we have asked the VHS here to add more workforce, with two additional staff to help expedite the visa process. I encourage all businesspeople and individuals from all walks of life to visit China. If there is anything you need, you can write to us or contact us; we will be very obliged, honoured, and happy to help you,' he added.

Xu Wei further hoped that more direct flights would begin between the two countries to strengthen trade collaborations and people-to-people interactions.

Xu Wei was attending a special session on Indo-China trade and development of the North East, hosted by the Calcutta Machinery Dealers Association.

Recently, India and China took several steps to improve their relationship after years of friction. PM Modi approved changes in guidelines on investments from countries sharing land borders with India (LBCs), including China.

An official release said that the Cabinet approved changes in FDI policy to provide for a definitive timeline for investments in critical sectors. It said the amendments in the FDI Policy aim to unlock greater FDI inflows from global funds for startups and deep techs, and take forward the agenda of ease of doing business.

India and China have also resumed direct flights, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Doklam standoff in 2017. (ANI)