A soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and an Indian soldier (L) stand guard at the Nathu La Pass on the border between China and India July 5, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

An Indian soldier is seen at Nathu La Pass, a historic trading route in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 6, 2006.  (Xinhua Photo)

    NATHU LA PASS, Tibet, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China and India restarted border trade Thursday through Tibet's Nathu La Pass, a historic trading route that has been closed for 44 years.

    A grand inaugural ceremony was held at the Sino-Indian border late Thursday morning to mark the reopening of the pass, a major trading point between the two countries before it was closed in 1962 following a border conflict.

    The Nathu La Pass sitting 4,545 meters above sea level is wedged between Yadong County of Tibet's Xigaze Prefecture and India's Sikkim State.

    Sikkim's chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and the chairman of Tibet's regional government Qiangba Puncog were present at the ceremony.Together with other Chinese and Indian officials, they cut the ribbon for the reopening of the border pass.

    "This is a historical day for both countries. We are looking forward to developing the trade and beginning tourism," said Pawan Kumar Chamling.

    After the ceremony, people from the two countres walked through the pass cheerfully, while Tibetan Chinese presented hada (a white silk scarf symbolizing respect and blessing as a greeting gift) to the Indians. 

    Gone is the barbed wire that separated the world's most populous nations for the past 44 years and in its place is now a 10-meter wide, stone walled passageway waiting for merchants from both sides to go through.

    A red banner on the Chinese side of the borderline reads "Warmest congratulations to the reopening of Sino-Indian Nathu La Pass border trade route" and a yellow one on the Indian side reads "Welcome to Nathu La".

    Following the inaugural ceremony, the two countries opened two border trade markets -- the Renqinggang market in Yadong County of Tibet's Xigaze Prefecture and Changgu mart in India's state of Sikkim.

    Chinese and Indian officials agreed last month that Thursday isthe date to reopen border trade through Nathu La Pass, one of the main arteries of the Silk Road that historically linked China via central Asia to Europe.

    "The reopening of border trade will help end economic isolation in this area and play a key role in boosting market economy there," said Hao Peng, vice chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region.

    The move is also conducive to improving relations between the two countries, said Dr. Christy Fernandez, additional secretary ofthe Indian Department of Commerce.

    With the reopening of the historic trade route and Saturday's launching of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, experts say the two countries will be able to revive the ancient Silk Road by shipping goods from China's inland areas to India and other parts of South Asia via Tibet. Enditem

Qiangba Puncog (L), chairman of China's Tibetan regional government, shakes hands with Pawan Kumar Chamling (R), chief minister of India's Sikkim State, during an opening ceremony in Nathu La Pass of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 6, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

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