This story is from October 20, 2019

Chinese envoy attends Durga Puja event in Beijing

Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Zha Liyou attended Durga Puja celebrations held in the auditorium of the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Saturday. This is the first time that a senior Chinese official has attended an Indian festival celebration in Beijing.
Chinese envoy attends Durga Puja event in Beijing
BEIJING: Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Zha Liyou attended Durga Puja celebrations held in the auditorium of the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Saturday. This is the first time that a senior Chinese official has attended an Indian festival celebration in Beijing.
Zha and his wife, who are visiting Beijing, were received by Indian ambassador Vikram Misri and deputy chief of mission Acquino Vimal during the event at the Indian embassy auditorium.

The visit came after the recent informal summit in Chennai between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping to enhance ties between the two countries. Beijing’s higher authorities appeared to have encouraged Zha’s visit to the Durga Puja event although China is officially an atheist country.
Zha mingled with several Indians and discussed his plans for enhancing people to people relationship between the two countries. His office in Kolkata has instituted an award for the best Durga Puja celebration in Kolkata, and winners will be brought to Yunnan in China’s Kunming province for a visit. Kolkata and Yunnan have been declared as sister cities by the two governments.
Misri suggested that Zha can help Indian officials to identify good Chinese cooks who will be employed in restaurants serving authentic Chinese food in different places in India. This is seen as a necessary step to facilitate Chinese tourists visiting India.
Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry website published a photograph of Zha visiting two local clubs engaged in preparation of Durga Puja in Kolkata last August.
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Saibal Dasgupta

Author of Running with the Dragon: How India Should Do Business with China

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