West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not going to China. The Trinamool Congress supremo was scheduled to visit the Asian giant as part of the Exchange Programme of the Government of India with the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
In a series of tweets, Banerjee explained why in spite of accepting the Government’s request she is unable to visit China.
She said that the Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had requested her to consider leading a delegation to China in the coming months which she had accepted on 2 April.
“I mentioned to her that ‘since the interest of my country is involved, I wish to visit China sometime during last week of June, 2018’,” wrote Banerjee.
In response, on April 2, 2018, I appreciated her recommendation for me to lead the delegation to China under the Exchange Programme.
I mentioned to her that “since the interest of my country is involved, I wish to visit China sometime during last week of June, 2018”.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 22, 2018
Following her acceptance of the Centre’s request, a programme was chalked out for her visit in the coming week.
“Thereafter, in pursuance of the letters from Chief Secretary and the Ambassador of India in China, a programme was chalked out, based on which we planned our visit in the coming week,” said Banerjee.
Till yesterday, everything was going on well, but unfortunately, the Chinese side could not confirm the political meetings at appropriate level as informed by our Ambassador in China.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 22, 2018
The West Bengal CM then stated that though she was ready with the delegation, China could not confirm the meetings at an appropriate level leading to her cancellation of the visit.
Praising the Indian Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale for his efforts to ensure the meetings under the Exchange Programme go as planned, Banerjee said, “Although our Ambassador in China had tried his best to make the programme a success, non-confirmation of the political meetings at the appropriate level as proposed by the Indian Ambassador to China, at the last moment, has unfortunately compelled us to cancel the visit.”
Although our Ambassador in China had tried his best to make the programme a success, non-confirmation of the political meetings at the appropriate level as proposed by the Indian Ambassador to China, at the last moment, has unfortunately compelled us to cancel the visit.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 22, 2018
“However, I wish the continuation of the friendship of India and China in the days to come and it should strengthen further in the interest of both the countries,” she added.
A top Chinese delegation headed by Meng Xiangfeng, the deputy director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, had visited India in January as part of the Exchange Programme. The meeting was the first of many senior-level meetings held before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful Wuhan visit for an ‘informal summit’ with Chinese President Xi Jinping that translated into a resetting of ties between India and China following the Doklam crisis.