China and India are gearing up to restart border trade on Thursday through Tibet's Nathu La Pass, a historic trading route that has been closed for 44 years.

The Nathu La Pass, sitting 4,545 meters above sea level, was once a pivotal point on the ancient Silk Road.

Located some 460 kilometers from Tibet's regional capital Lhasa and 550 kilometers from the Indian coastal city of Calcutta, the pass was an important trade passage between China and India but was closed in 1962 amid border conflicts.

In line with minutes of negotiations signed between Chinese and Indian officials in Lhasa last month, the two countries will reopen the trade route Thursday with two border trade markets -- the Renqinggang market in Tibet and Changgu market of India.

The reopening of the Nathu La Pass is expected to give a major boost to bilateral trade between the two countries, which totaled 18.7 billion U.S. dollars last year and is expected to top 20 billion U.S. dollars this year.

"The reopening of border trade will help end economic isolation in this area and play a key role in boosting market economy there, " said Hao Peng, vice chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The move is also conducive to improving relations between the two countries, said Dr. Christy Fernandez, additional secretary of the Indian Department of Commerce.