An Analysis and Assessment of India’s Participation in the Process of Liberalization of Trade in Services and Thinking on Liberalization of Services Trade in the Sino-India Free Trade Zone

　　ABSTRACT: Under the GATS framework, India has gradually increased the level of openness of its services trade, already surpassing other developing countries. Restrictions on “commercial existence” are the primary barrier to its services trade, while it maintains significant freedom in its policy governing “the movement of natural persons.” Under the RTAs system, the level of liberalization of India’s services trade is similar to that of “GATS+” and is concentrated on “commerce”， “communications”， “finance”， and “shipping” departments, on the selection of regional trade partnerships and the target states of its “Look East Policy”， and on services trade arrangements that are primarily north-south. This paper assesses preferential opening of services departments and the design of mechanisms for liberalization in the Sino-India Free Trade Zone.