China should allow its citizens staying along the border to trade with Indians through Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims to be part of south Tibet, a legislator has proposed, adding that an increase in cross-border trade could benefit locals, reduce hostility between the two militaries and improve bilateral ties.

Increased cross-border trade through the Tibet Autonomous Region will also “showcase” the region’s achievements to India and other countries, India and China conduct land trade through a handful of areas along the long and disputed border.According to data from India’s Commerce ministry, published in January this year, land trade between India and China in 2017-18 was at $3.16 million.There’s scope for that statistics to improve, the Chinese legislator feels though she didn’t share details of the proposal or whether it was feasible in the first place.

An said her proposal was based on field work conducted by a group of researchers from Yunnan University in Southwest China.Guo found that “ because the militaries of China and India in the illegal ‘McMahon Line’ are tight, residents in the border areas are not allowed to cross the line freely. However, in some areas, some residents, mainly those from the Lhoba ethnic minority group, have crossed the ‘line’ to trade”.

Guo said: “We found that the villages in the border areas have wide roads and a clean environment. If China allows residents living on the other side to trade, all these achievements and developments will help better unite the residents in border areas”.

The three existing land trading points between India and China are Nathu La , Lipulekh and Namgiya Shipkila .But the Indian government might not be keen to further increase trade with China through land borders.