Mamata Banerjee’s China visit cancelled due to technical reason: Envoy

Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Ma Zhanwu, on Friday admitted that the recent proposed visit of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visit to China was cancelled due to some technical reason on their end.

“Her trip was cancelled at the last moment owing to some technical reason from our end. We are still working on it and hopefully we will settle on a date in the coming months for her visit,” Zhanwu said when asked about the CM’s cancelled trip on the sidelines of a press conference organised to announce the Chinese Consulate’s association with a puja in Salt Lake. 

Mamata and her cabinet ministers had on several occasions said that the trip was cancelled because of the central government’s intervention as it did not want Mamata to speak on an international platform ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

At the press conference, it was announced that the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Kolkata for the first time was getting associated with a puja organiser to promote Indo-China relationship. 

“A Chinese structure would be replicated at the pandal and Chinese artists will perform dance, songs and martial arts at the pandal at BJ Block in Salt Lake. There will also be a spread of Chinese cuisines for the peckish,” Zhanwu said flanked by members of the puja organising committee.

He said that the event would enhance China-India friendship and would also build a mutual trust.