Beijing: China on Thursday dispatched 650,000 coronavirus medical kits to India to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri said.
Over two million test kits being procured from China will be sent to India in the next 15 days, he told PTI here.
#IndiaFightsCoronavirus A total of 650,000 kits, including Rapid Antibody Tests and RNA Extraction Kits have been despatched early today from Guangzhou Airport to #India, Misri tweeted on Thursday.
As its factories resumed operations after over a two-month grim battle against the coronavirus, China is busy tapping into the vast business opportunities of export of key medical goods, especially ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE), across the world, including India, where both private and government bodies are placing orders for the import of these products.
Two major consignments of medical kits were reported to have been sent to India from China earlier as part of efforts to step up testing specially in hotspots during the current lockdown in the country.
India has extended its ongoing lockdown to fight the coronavirus till May 3. It has reported 414 deaths due to the disease and 12,380 people have been infected by the disease in the country.
Considering the importance, Misri said the Indian Embassy is facilitating commercial procurements besides coordinating flight linkages for their timely arrival in India.
On Tuesday, Misri told media here that India has placed orders to procure 15 million personal protection gear from China for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients besides three million testing kits.
The orders are being placed with bonafide firms with the help of the Chinese government.
"I think facilitation of our needs and our requirements in a timely manner, in a smooth manner, on a predictable timeline at prices that are stable and orderly, would be the best signal possible to send for the India-China relationship," Misri said.
As demand for Chinese medical supplies scaled up due to the spread of the virus in several parts of world, China on Wednesday asked all the countries to import these items through reputed Chinese firms cleared by the government and vowed to punish those involved in counterfeit behaviour.
Responding to questions about quality concerns raised by several countries related to medical equipment imports from China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Wednesday that the Chinese government is facilitating the orderly exports.
"We hope foreign buyers can choose products from companies that have been accredited by Chinese regulators with good production credentials," he said.
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New Delhi (PTI): India and Canada on Monday sealed key pacts on supplies of Uranium and critical minerals and vowed to soon conclude a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney finalising a new framework to shore up ties including taking bilateral annual trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.
In their wide-ranging talks, the two leaders also pledged to ramp up cooperation in defence, critical technologies, small and modular nuclear reactors, education and renewable energy as Modi said the relations between the two countries are now filled with new energy, mutual trust and positivity.
Canada is set to support India's civil nuclear energy sector under the USD 2.6 billion uranium supply agreement.
The prime minister said both sides agreed that terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation are common and serious challenges not only for India and Canada but for all humanity. "Our close cooperation against these is crucial for global peace and stability," he said.
Modi and Carney also deliberated on the precarious security situation in West Asia with PM Modi asserting that India supports the resolution of all conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
"The current situation in West Asia is a matter of deep concern for us. India supports the resolution of all disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. We will continue to work with all countries to ensure the safety of all Indian citizens in the region," the prime minister said in his media statement.
The major outcomes of the Modi-Carney talks were their decision to expand trade relations, a move that comes amid Canada's increasingly frosty economic ties with the Trump administration.
The fresh move to bolster ties came as part of ongoing efforts by the two sides to reset the relations that came under severe strain following a diplomatic row over the killing of a Khalistani separatist in 2023.
"Our goal is to reach USD 50 billion in trade by 2030. Unlocking the full potential of economic cooperation is our priority. Therefore, we have decided to finalise the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement soon.
"This will create new investment and employment opportunities in both countries," Modi said.
"Canada's pension funds have invested USD 100 billion in India. This symbolises their deep belief in India's growth story," he said.
The volume of two-way annual trade at present is around USD 13 billion.
The prime minister said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on critical minerals will strengthen resilient supply chains. Canada is known for its significant reservoir of critical minerals and rare earth materials.
"In the energy sector, we are building a next-generation partnership, which will focus on hydrocarbons as well as renewable energy, green hydrogen and energy storage," Modi said.
"In civil nuclear energy, we have signed a landmark deal for long-term uranium supply. We will also work together on small modular reactors and advanced reactors," he said.
Modi said the growing cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence and security symbolises the deep mutual trust and the maturity of the relationship.
"We will work to enhance defence industries, maritime domain awareness and military exchanges. To this end, today we have decided to establish the India-Canada defence dialogue," he said.
The prime minister also highlighted the expansion of two-way ties in the education sector.
"New partnerships between several universities in AI, healthcare, agriculture and innovation are being announced. We also agreed on Canadian universities opening campuses in India," he said.
The prime minister also made a mention of how India and Canada share an "unwavering belief" in democratic values.
"We celebrate diversity. The well-being of humanity is our shared vision. This vision inspires us to move forward in every field. Today, we discussed transforming this vision into a next level partnership," he said.
In his remarks, Carney mentioned the future of India-Canada energy ties.
"Today, we are launching a strategic energy partnership with significant potential to expand bilateral energy trade. We've signed a new critical minerals partnership spanning development, processing and secure supply chains for clean energy, electric vehicles and advanced manufacturing," he said.
"We're deepening our cooperation in clean energy, expanding collaboration across wind, solar and hydrogen, because Canada has big plans as well," he said.
Carney described the uranium supply agreement as a reflection of shared commitment to clean, reliable energy.
"All of these agreements under one planet are the beginning of a new, prosperous relationship that will offer generational opportunities for workers and businesses in both their countries and which will protect the planet for future generations," he said.
Carney landed in New Delhi on Sunday after spending two days in Mumbai, where he met several industry leaders.
In the face of its tense trade ties with the Trump administration, Canada is looking at building a stronger, independent and more resilient economy.
In the last few months, India and Canada have taken several steps to normalise their relations.
India-Canada ties hit rock bottom following then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India dismissed Trudeau's accusation as "absurd".
In October 2024, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.
However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April last year helped in beginning the process to reset relations.
Subsequently, both sides have already posted their high commissioners in each other's capitals.
Last June, Modi travelled to Kananaskis, Canada, to attend the G7 summit. Modi and Carney held extensive talks on the margins of the summit with a focus on rebuilding the ties.
