Nee Delhi, Jan 29 (KNN) India and China have recently signed the protocol for exports of Indian tobacco leaves to China.

Commerce Secretary, Dr. Anup Wadhawan, was on a two-day official visit to Beijing last week, according to an official release on Monday.

During the visit from 21^st to 22^nd January 2019, he had bilateral meeting with Zhang Jiwen, Vice Minister of General Administration of China Customs (GACC).

Quality tobacco on par with international standards is available in India at competitive prices and there is good potential for export of Indian tobacco to China.

The revival of the phytosanitory protocol with China will pave the way for revival of Indian tobacco exports to China and prove economically beneficial to Indian farmers.

India and China discussed the market access and quarantine issues for India’s agriculture and allied products.

During the meeting with Jiwen, Commerce Secretary appreciated GACC for expeditiously addressing long pending agricultural market access issues for Indian products, following the understandings reached on these matters at the Informal Summit in Wuhan last year between President, Xi Jinping and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

The Commerce Secretary requested the GACC to expedite market access for other products like okra, soyabean, bovine meat and dairy products.

Commerce Secretary also held a bilateral meeting with Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce, to discuss the progress made under RCEP negotiations and efforts to strengthen bilateral trade.