Beijing

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has began her tour in China. She was received at Beijing airport by Mr Prashant Agarwal, Consul General of India in Hong Kong.
Smt Patel is on a seven-day visit to China and Hong Kong.

She will be attending the Government of China programme to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 15, 2015.

Mrs. Patel is leading a high-profile delegation from Gujarat to China to join the Prime Minister’s entourage.

The delegation from Gujarat will then participate in inaugural session of Chief Ministers of Indian States with Provincial Leaders’ Forum of China at the same venue. The Forum is to strengthen bilateral economic and cultural relations between leaders of the two countries.

In the first business session on ‘Role of States and Provinces’ in strengthening relation between India and China, Mrs. Patel will lead the deliberations on Gujarat as a land of achievements and opportunities. The topics she proposes to cover include promoting Buddhist Tourism Circuit in Gujarat and Cultural Relations. There will be a session on ‘Sustainable Urbanization: Smart City-Smart Living’.

The delegation from Gujarat will be witness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi signing MoU between the two countries with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang.

The Forum is scheduled to discuss the MoU signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Gujarat in September last year for sister city status between Gujarat and Guangdong.

Mrs. Patel was earlier given a warm sendoff at the airport here today. Those present there included Cabinet Ministers Nitinbhai Patel, Ramanbhai Vora, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, Saurabhbhai Patel, Vijaybhai Rupani and Babubhai Bokhiria, also Ministers of State Shankarbhai Chudhry, Vasuben Trivedi, Rajnibhai Patel, Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Jashabhai Barad, besides Parliamentary Secretaries.

Gujarat’s Chief Secretary D.J. Pandian, DGP Thakur, Additional Chief Secretaries Aloria, J.N. Singh, P.K. Taneja, Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary K. Kailashnathan, GAD Principal Secretary Sriniwas, Chief Minister’s Secretary Ajay Bhadoo and office-bearers were also present.