Berlin June 7

Trade between India and China has grown 56.8 per cent in the first four months of this year (2007), and has crossed $11.4 billion, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Shiv Shankar Menon, said on Thursday.

"We are well on track to doubling trade to $40 billion a year by 2010."

Mr Menon was briefing the media on the talks the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had with the Chinese President, Mr Hu Jintao, here this morning as the two leaders awaited their meeting with leaders of the G-8, the group of eight industrialised nations at the German resort town of Heiligendamm.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the developments in the bilateral relations since the two leaders met in New Delhi in November 2006. Mr Menon quoted the Chinese President as saying that the relationship had reached the stage of "fast-track growth."

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