Snub by Beijing aborts Mamata Banerjee visit

New Delhi/Beijing: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was heading an Indian delegation that was due to travel to China under an official exchange programme, suffered embarrassment after the delegation had to cancel its forthcoming trip on Friday due to non-confirmation of meetings “at the appropriate level” with the Chinese Communist Party from Beijing’s side. The visit was fully backed by the Indian government, with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj having herself recommended the West Bengal CM’s name as delegation head. The West Bengal CM tweeted that the Indian ambassador had “tried his best” to clinch the confirmation for the meeting and that “till yesterday, everything was going well”, but it finally could not be done.  finally. According to PTI reports citing sources in Beijing, the Communist Party of China (CPC) did not facilitate her meeting with any senior leader besides Song Tao, minister of the CPC’s international department. Sources were further cited as saying the visit was cancelled due to the failure of CPC officials to understand and appreciate Ms Banerjee’s  stature both as chief minister and as head of the Trinamul Congress, and the importance of her visit. But there are indications that the visit could be rescheduled.

The reports from Beijing said while the delegation was to interact with the CPC’s international department, India had, given Ms Banerjee’s stature in Indian politics, proposed a meeting with a member of the powerful seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the CPC’s highest body which governs the country, but it could not materialise. The committee is headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also CPC general secretary. The international department of the CPC is in charge of conducting relations with political parties of different countries, including India, and hosts and interacts with visiting political leaders.

But despite what happened, Ms Banerjee said she “wished the continuation of the friendship of India and China in the days to come”.

In a series of tweets, the West Bengal CM said: “In March this year, the external affairs minister 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. In response, on April 2, 2018, I appreciated her recommendation for me to lead the delegation to China. I mentioned to her that since the interest of my country is involved, I wish to visit China sometime during the last week of June 2018... Thereafter, in pursuance of letters from the 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.”

Ms Banerjee added: “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. 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 is of no use. 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. 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.”

When Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had visited China in 2016, he had met Zhao Leji, a member of the CPC politburo and head of the central committee organisation department, besides Mr Song.

The controversy comes as the two nations are making all efforts to improve bilateral ties after the informal summit a few weeks ago between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan.