Beijing, Jul 30 (PTI) Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami on Thursday met Yan Dong, Vice Minister and Member of the Communist Party of China Leadership Group of the Ministry of Commerce, and called for enhanced market access for Indian products.

"They exchanged views on enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties, including the need for sustainable trade, and enhanced market access for Indian products like pharmaceuticals," the Indian Embassy said in a post on X.

"Towards this end, the two sides agreed to enhance mutual cooperation and communication," it said.

The meeting took place in the immediate backdrop of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s two-day visit to Beijing early this week during which he held talks with several Chinese officials to step up India-China engagement.

Since he took over the post in May, Doraiswami has been pitching for greater pharma exports and Chinese Investment to deepen ties.

“Obviously, we would like to be able to export more to China. This is nothing unreasonable about suggesting that. Particularly in areas where we believe we have a competitive advantage like pharmaceuticals," he said while addressing a panel at the World Peace Forum organised by China’s Tsinghua University here early this month.

The bilateral trade rose to over USD 91 billion in the first six months of this year, but India's trade deficit widened to over USD 67 billion.

China's exports to India increased by 21.8 per cent in the first half of 2026 to USD 79.41 billion, while Indian exports to China rose 37.2 per cent to USD 12.31 billion, according to data released by Chinese customs on July 14.

Over the years, India has been pressing China to open its IT, Pharma and agricultural sectors, which are India's strong areas. PTI KJV  ZH ZH

Market access for Indian pharmaceuticals remains central to bilateral efforts to promote sustainable trade and economic cooperation. Enhanced market access for Indian products, particularly pharmaceuticals, was raised in discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties. The discussions addressed sustainable trade, and the sides agreed to increase mutual cooperation and communication. India continues to seek greater access to China's information technology, pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors, while pursuing increased pharmaceutical exports and Chinese investment. Bilateral trade increased, but India's trade deficit widened, reflecting an ongoing imbalance in trade flows.