Coming during the same week that China's railroad to Tibet took its first passengers to Lhasa, this is an interesting bit of news from Xinhua: China, India reopen historic trade route.

There's more about the cross border trade on India e-news: History made as Silk Road is re-opened for border trade. Excerpt:

Business would be duty-free with India being able to export 29 items ranging from textiles and blankets, agricultural implements, liquor, cigarettes, tea, barley, rice, vegetable oil, and local herbs. Chinese traders would be able to trade in 15 items from horses to goats and sheep, yak tail, yak hair, goat skin, wool, and raw silk.

A study conducted by the Sikkim government says bilateral trade was expected to reach $12 billion by 2015.