Delegation from Communist Party of China visits BJP headquarters in New Delhi (ANI photo)
NEW DELHI: BJP has raised several sticking points – ranging from border tensions to trade issues – in India-China ties in its interaction with a visiting Communist Party of China (CPC) delegation, emphasising that these were not helpful to their relations, as the two parties touched base after a gap of over six years amid signs of a possible thaw in the bilateral equation.The meeting on Monday with the Chinese delegation led by Sun Haiyan, vice minister of CPC’s international liaison department, a senior rank in Beijing’s foreign ministry hierarchy, was sought by the Chinese embassy here, and it sparked a war of words between BJP and Congress.Congress accused the governing BJP of “hypocrisy, pretence and deceit” as it recalled the relentless attack it has faced for allegedly signing an MoU with China’s governing party. It demanded to know details of the meetings.BJP described the interaction as a “formal meeting” following “improved” relations between the two countries and hit back at Congress, saying it had nothing to hide as it was not entering into any secretive MoU with CPC. It also pointed to the meeting that leader of opposition – then Congress president – Rahul Gandhi had with the then Chinese ambassador during a tense standoff at Doklam in 2017. BJP sources said party’s representatives – general secretary Arun Singh and foreign department head Vijay Chauthaiwale – brought up the border issues, export curbs like on tunnel boring machines as well as rare and critical minerals. These are not helpful for the professed desire to improve ties.CPC was keen on resumption of party-to-party ties with BJP, which had stalled since Singh led a party delegation to China in 2019, sources said, emphasising that the meetings, including with RSS on Tuesday, were requested by the visitors.On X, Chauthaiwale said they discussed at length “the means to advance inter party communications” between BJP and CPC. Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong also joined the delegation.RSS sources have said it was a courtesy meeting at the request of the visitors and was done with ministry of external affair’s approval.Slamming BJP, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said people had a right to know what transpired in its closed-door meeting with the CPC delegation, alleging govt had pursued a policy of meek surrender in handling China.There was no problem in a political party engaging in dialogue with a party of another country, he said, accusing BJP of double standards. The CPC delegation also met Congress’s foreign department head Salman Khurshid. Khera said govt had approved the meeting.BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha retorted that his party had nothing to hide. Congress was unable to explain its MoU so many years after it was signed, he said.The meeting, initiated at the request of CPC, has followed a thaw in the ties between two countries, with resumption of flights and ongoing efforts to boost trade, he noted. India-China relations had improved compared to a year ago, he said.
