Punjab Newsline, Shimla-
The Himachal government’s consistent efforts to resume trade with China through Shipki-La (Kinnaur) have yielded encouraging results. The government of China has agreed in principle to the proposal during the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India. This breakthrough was made possible due to the personal intervention of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who had written to the Union government urging revival of the historic Indo-Tibetan trade route. Acting on this, the union government formally took up the matter with China, leading to a consensus to restart the trade. The state government would now take this matter with the union commerce ministry for completing the codal formalities.
Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has informed the state government that the Government of India had initiated discussions with China for resumption of border trade through all three designated points- Shipki-La (Himachal Pradesh), Lipulekh (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La (Sikkim), which had been suspended since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chief Minister had emphasized that Shipki-La, once an offshoot of the legendary Silk Route and formalized as a border trade point under the Indo-China bilateral agreement of 1994, played a vital role in trans-Himalayan economic and cultural exchanges.
In addition to trade, the state government has also received a positive response regarding the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY) through Shipki-La. The Chief Minister, in his communication to the Centre, highlighted that the Shipki-La route, connecting via Gartok towards Darchen and Mansarovar is comparatively shorter on the Tibetan side. Himachal Pradesh already has road connectivity up to Shipki-La via Rampur Bushahr and Pooh, making it feasible to develop the necessary base camps and supporting infrastructure for the Yatra.
The Union External Affairs Minister, in a letter to the Chief Minister, conveyed that after a five-year gap, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed through Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim), and discussions are underway with China on the possibility of adding Shipki-La as an additional route. The state government is hopeful that these initiatives will not only revive traditional border trade but also open new avenues for tourism, cultural exchange, and economic development in Himachal Pradesh.
The Chief Minister has expressed gratitude to the union government for prioritizing these key concerns of the State in bilateral dialogues with China.