Ahead of the maiden visit of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to China after she assumed office in 2011, Chinese consul general to India Ma Zhanwu, on the sidelines of an event on Sunday, said that the visit would be fruitful for both China and West Bengal.
“There will be further promotion of interaction in the fields of economy, culture, education and other areas between China and West Bengal,” Zhanwu said during the inauguration of the third Dragon Boat Festival in Kolkata.
Mamata will leave for Beijing on June 22 for a nine-day trip to China and sources said that she would be meeting several business chambers in Beijing, Shanghai and Jinan.
Zhanwu also said that the relationship between India and China was getting stable, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to China. “The relationship between China and India is going to be very stable, especially because of the successful and fruitful informal meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late April this year. On Saturday too, President Jinping and PM Modi met and had a very useful and important discussion, which will help the countries develop a steady and vibrant relationship,” he said.
The Dragon Boat Festival was organised jointly by the Indian Chinese Association and Chinese Consulate in India. Rowers were trained for a boat race among different lion dance groups of Kolkata and a colourful cultural programme was presented by the members of the Chinese community of Kolkata. Chinese boys and girls belted out Hindi film songs with elan to regale the audience comprising Chinese and Indians. An array of Chinese delicacies was also up for the taking.
“The Chinese community in Kolkata is very vibrant. There will be dragon racing and other Chinese cultural activities during the festival in which staff members of Chinese consulates will also participate. Racing boats have been brought in from China and seven members on each boat will row it during the race,” Zhanwu said.
Source: DNA India
