Beijing: Ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit, Beijing is vigorously pushing New Delhi to sign a bilateral free trade agreement and grant "market economy" status to the Communist trading giant.

Signalling this, Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce Fu Ziying said that Beijing was considering FTA talks with India.

"Following the reopening of the trade post on the Indian-Chinese border (at Nathula), our government is considering FTA talks with India," Fu said last week.

An FTA between China and India, the world's most and second most populous nations, would benefit as many as 2.4 billion people, the official Chinese media commented soon after Fu's statement.

Fu's surprise statement came even as India and China are studying the possibility of establishing a Regional Trading Arrangement (RTA) instead of a Free Trade Area (FTA), which could possibly harm Indian interests.

Hu is reportedly keen to raise the FTA issue with Indian leadership during the parleys planned during the November 20-23 state visit, the first by a Chinese President since 1996.

China is also pressuring India to grant "market economy" status, which most developed nations and some developing nations have not accorded to Beijing in view of its highly opaque pricing system and high-level of subsidies offered to exporters.

Chinese industry circles are also backing Beijing's increased push for FTA with India and the granting of and 'market economy' status.