NEW DELHI, March 27: India’s trade minister has cancelled a visit to Beijing after China’s early morning summons of the Indian envoy over Tibetan protests here, reports said on Thursday.
Kamal Nath was due to travel to Beijing on April 1 to take part in discussions on a trade agreement between the two Asian giants but cancelled the trip at the eleventh hour, the Times of India newspaper said.
The daily said New Delhi called off Mr Nath’s trip in protest against the Chinese foreign ministry’s recent summoning of India’s ambassador to Beijing over Tibetan protests in India.
China’s foreign ministry called Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao at 2am and handed over details of plans of more Tibetan demonstrations in India, after protesters broke into the Chinese embassy compound in New Delhi last Friday.
The Indian government found China’s action objectionable, the newspaper reported. Mr Nath, however, said the cancellation had nothing to do with Tibet protests. “My trip has been cancelled because of problems in dates,” he told reporters, adding the two sides were trying to reschedule the trip.—AFP
