Guangzhou, June 4 (ANI): China has said that it attaches great importance to the visit of Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and this is will be reflected when Beijing not only rolls out the red carpet for the visiting dignitary, but by also making elobarate arrangements to pamper Mukherjee's taste buds.
In what is seen as an unprecedented gesture by officialdom, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi will be hosting a dinner for his Indian counterpart in the ancient "Forbidden City", once the home of the Chinese imperial dynasty, and now used to fete the Chinese elite and very special foreign guests.
Interstingly, both Jeichi and Mukherjee share a very good chemistry. Pranab has often called Jeichi his ' young counterpart'.
This is Pranab Mukherjee's first bilateral visit to China. Last year, he had visited Harbin Province for troika talks between India, Russia and China. This is first high-level bilateral interaction between both nations after the global anti-China demonstrations against the Olympic torch relay and the right of Bijing to host the Olympics in August 2008. The demonstrations were targetted against Chinese strong arm tactics against Tibetans in Lhasa.
So intense was the protest in various parts of the world, including in New Delhi, that authorities in Beijing did not hesitate to summon India's Ambassador to China, Nirupama Rao, at 2 a.m. at night to state their objections to the protests.
Other than the review of talks held by the joint working group on the border issue, both countries will also review the status of bilateral trade which is targetted to reach 60 billion dollars by 2010.
During his four-day visit to China, Mukherjee is also expected to hand over another consignment of aid to victims of the May 12 earthquake in China's south west Sichuan Province. He is expected to halt briefly in the provincial capital Chengdu on his way back to New Delhi. China has already hailed India's gesture of providing aid to the earthquake-affected.
During his visit, Mukherjee will make courtesy calls on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing.
The Indian Foreign Minister will also deliver a lecture on Indian foreign policy at Peking University and will also hand over the prestigious Padma Bhushan to 94-year-old bedridden Sanskrit lingusit Ji Xianhen.
Xianhen translated the entire Ramayan into Chinese secretly at the height of the Cultural Revolution. His name for the coveted Padma Bhushan award was announced this year.
India opens new consulate general in China's richest province
Pranab Mukherjee today visited the site and unveiled the logo of India's new consulate general in Guangzhou, the capital of China's richest province Guangdong.
The new consulate general could prove to be a shot in the arm for the burgeoning trade ties between the two countries, which has already crossed 40 billion dollars mark last year and is all set to touch the target of whopping 60 billion dollars
Guangdon province has registered a stand-alone trade of six billion dollars from the total 38 billion dollars trade with India. Alone this province constitutes one third of total 634 billion dollars.
Seasoned diplomat Gautam bambawale is the first consulate general of the Guangdong.
While unveiling the logo Mukherjee said, "this consulate bolster tourism, trade, and people to people contact."
Mukherjee further emphasized that in international relations sometimes lack of understanding and misgivings are bound to happen.
Now there is also a direct flight between Delhi-Guangzhou, which is operated by the carrier 'Southern China' and the business community here has great interest in importing raw materials from India.
India already has a consulate general in Shanghai, the economic nerve centre of Mainland China. And there has been a consistent demand from business community of both the countries for liberalisation of the visas. (ANI)
