India calls investment facilitation for a development proposal backed by China at the World Trade Organization (WTO), a non-trade issue. As per the WTO, ministers representing 123 WTO members issued on February 25, a Joint Ministerial Declaration marking the finalisation of the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement and made it available to the public.

"India believes the WTO should deal with issues related to trade, and this (IFD) is a non-trade issue," the official said. The group wants to bring the proposal through Annexure 4 of the WTO, under which the proposal would be binding on only the signatory members and not on those who are opposed to it.