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China calls off BJP team's visit to Beijing

A visit to China by a Bharatiya Janata Party delegation has been cancelled in the wake of the terror attacks in the United States and the possibility of military strikes by Washington on Afghanistan.

A four-member BJP delegation was all prepared to interact with China's ruling communist party but has been informed by Beijing that this was not the right time for a visit.

"We were told two days ago that the visit had been postponed as it did not suit them," delegation member K P Candeth told IANS.

Candeth admitted that the delegation was all prepared to embark upon the weeklong visit, scheduled to have started on Thursday, despite the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Another member of the delegation, Surendra K Arora, had said earlier that the BJP members would take the opportunity to take up with China the issue of Pakistan's persisting support to cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP delegation's visit was part of an ongoing exercise of party-to-party interactions with the Communist Party of China to enhance ties between the two countries.

One of the factors that has affected ties between New Delhi and Beijing is China's support to Pakistan despite its assurances to India that it will build up pressure on Islamabad to discourage terrorism in J&K.

Islamabad and Beijing have close military and trade ties.

Candeth, a retired general, had earlier said: "So far, we have not succeeded in weaning away China from Pakistan."

BJP leaders had remarked that after the US terrorist attacks, the interactions would gain greater significance.

"We are disappointed, but there are more important issues to address right now," said a member of the delegation.

China has responded to the US call for a war against terrorism by offering its endorsement to any United Nations-led global offensive.

Indo-Asian News Service

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