PTI, KOLKATA/BEIJING: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled her first China visit today at the last minute as political meetings at the “appropriate level” were not confirmed by the Chinese government.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief was slated to leave for China tonight for an eight-day visit.
She was scheduled to lead a delegation to China under the exchange programme of the Government of India with the International Department of the Communist Party of China.
West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is at present out of the country, and Foreign Secretary V K Gokhale were informed about the cancellation of Banerjee’s visit.
In a Facebook post, the chief minister said, “In March this year, the Union Minister of External Affairs had recommended to me to kindly consider leading a delegation to China in the coming months under the Exchange Programme of the Government of India with the International Department of the Communist Party of China.”
Noting that she had agreed to the proposal, Banerjee said, “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.”
Pursuant to letters from the state chief secretary and the ambassador of India in China, a programme was chalked out and the visit was planned, She said.
Till yesterday, everything was “going well”, the chief minister said, adding that unfortunately, “the political meetings at the appropriate level” could not be confirmed.
“It has now been intimated by our Ambassador in China that the political meetings at the appropriate level under the Exchange Programme could not be confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of my visit with a delegation to China under the Exchange Programme is of no use,” she said.
According to sources in Beijing, the CPC did not facilitate her meeting with any senior leader other than Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).
