Mamata cancels China trip as meetings not confirmed

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday cancelled her eight-day trip to China as the scheduled political meetings "at the appropriate level" under the Exchange Programme between the two countries were not confirmed.

Banerjee, who was supposed to leave for China on Friday evening, termed the cancellation "unfortunate", but said without a confirmation of those meetings, her visit to China was pointless.

"Till yesterday, everything was going on well, but unfortunately, the Chinese side could not confirm the political meetings.

"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 tweeted.

"Although our Ambassador tried his best to make the programme a success, non-confirmation of the political meetings as proposed by the Indian Ambassador to China, at the last moment, has unfortunately compelled us to cancel the visit," she said.

The Chief Minister, however, hoped that the incident would not impact the relationship between the two countries.

"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."

Banerjee was requested by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in March to take part in the Exchange Programme between the Government of India and the International Department of the Communist Party of China.

--IANS

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