Despite a sharp downfall in bilateral trade this year, Chinese and Indian economic officials and businessmen vowed to strengthen trade links at a symposium on November 16.

In his address, Zhou Keren, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, highlighted the development of economic relations between the two Asian neighbors since they established diplomatic ties in 1950.

According to Zhou, India is now China's 8th biggest trade partner in Asia, with bilateral trade volume growing at an yearly average rate of 30 percent in the 1990s. Bilateral trade reached 1. 92 billion US dollars in 1998, despite the crushing financial crisis, he said.

However, Indian trade officials present at the seminar said that the first 6 months of 1999 saw Indian exports to China drop by 28.3 percent, bringing bilateral trade to drop 11.4 percent.

Indian officials and businessmen gave in-depth introductions to the economic situation in India, foreign trade and investment, while business representatives from Chinese enterprises told stories of their investment and trade successes in India. (Xinhua)