Q & A, Times of India

China has reopened its consulate in Kolkata after 45 long years underlining the improving relations between the overpopulated but nuclear-armed Asian giants. New Consul General Mao Siwei, a 56-year-old career diplomat, explains the significance of the move to S N M Abdi:

The consulate was shut down after the 1962 war. Why has it been reopened?

More and more people from eastern India are visiting China. For their convenience, the consulate will be issuing around 30,000 visas annually. Moreover, Kolkata is home to India's largest ethnic Chinese community numbering 3,000-4,000. Politically they are Indians but historically, culturally and linguistically they are our brothers.

Another goal is to promote trade and economic relations between China and eastern India. We will take full advantage of West Bengal's industrialisation which is the top priority of the state government. The reopening of the consulate has coincided with the introduction of the first direct flight between China and Kolkata.

But Kolkata's ties with China go back a long way. In the 1920s, Rabindranath Tagore visited China. He was very popular in China. He gave Chinese writers a lot of fresh ideas which culminated in a new literary movement. As Tagore was from Kolkata, the Chinese associate the city with him.

 Is it possible to revive Kolkata's dying Chinatown?

It's New Delhi's and the West Bengal government's responsibility to look after the welfare of the Indian Chinese and make them feel wanted. We can merely quench their cultural thirst and encourage them to nurture business ties with the land of their forefathers.

Which states will you cover?

Besides West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

So the north-east is out of bounds?

My understanding is that there are several diplomatic missions in Kolkata whose consular jurisdiction does not extend to north-eastern India.

But Kolkata-based American and British diplomats do enjoy unfettered access to the north-east...

Let me say that even Russia's consular jurisdiction does not extend to the north-east.

How does it feel being Beijing's man in West Bengal which is ruled by a party whose top leaders, including Jyoti Basu, were thrown into prison for allegedly helping your country during the Indo-China war? The charge was never proved but they were branded China's agents.

Communist Party of China (CPC) has very good relations with the CPM and we will further develop our ties. But CPC believes in sharing good relations with other political parties too, not only with the communist parties.

(Courtesy: Times of India)