ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846 Kibithoo Can Be Configured as an Entrepôt in Indo- China Border Trade JAJATI K PATTNAIK Jajati K. Pattnaik (
[email protected]) is an Associate Professor, at the Department of Political Science, Indira Gandhi Government College, Tezu (Lohit District), Arunachal Pradesh Vol. 54, Issue No. 5, 02 Feb, 2019 Borders are the gateway to growth and development in the trajectory of contemporary economic diplomacy. They provide a new mode of interaction which entails de-territorialised economic cooperation and free trade architecture, thereby making the spatial domain of territory secondary in the global economic relations. Taking a cue from this, both India and China looked ahead to revive their old trade routes in order to restore cross-border ties traversing beyond their political boundaries. Borders are the gateway to growth and development in the trajectory of contemporary economic diplomacy. They provide a new mode of interaction which entails de-territorialised economic cooperation and free trade architecture, thereby making the spatial domain of territory secondary in the global economic relations. Taking a cue from this, both India and China looked ahead to revive their old trade routes in order to restore cross-border ties traversing beyond their political boundaries. The reopening of the Nathula trade route in 2016 was realised as a catalyst in generating trust and confidence between India and China. Subsequently, the success of Nathula propelled the academia, policymakers and the civil society to rethink the model in the perspective of Arunachal Pradesh as well. So, the question that automatically arises here is: Should we apply this cross-border model in building up any entrepôt in Arunachal Pradesh? The response is positive and corroborated by my field interactions at the ground level.