Congress team to take part in SCO Political Parties Forum in China

A Congress delegation left for China on Friday to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Political Parties Forum in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Congress’ deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma is leading the six-member delegation that includes former ministers Mukul Wasnik and Pallam Raju, party’s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Bhubaneshwar Kalita and the former Kerala MP and former KPCC chief K. Murleedharan.

‘Important partner’

“China is our important neighbour and we hope to have meaningful discussions with them when we meet with the senior leadership of the Chinese party,” Mr. Sharma told The Hindu before leaving for Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong province.

Mr. Sharma didn’t elaborate on the nature of discussions but the visit is significant as the Congress target Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not raising the issue of Chinese troop build-up near Doklam during his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping at Wuhan.

Many countries

The political parties forum (PPF) is part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian grouping for political, economic and security cooperation among the member countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, apart from neighbour China.

Last June, India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The Congress delegation is visiting at the invitation of the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). Hosted by the international department of the Central Committee, the political conference is scheduled to take place between May 25-28.

Interestingly, a CPC delegation had attended the Congress’ Plenary held in New Delhi.

Other political parties such as the BJP and CPI(M) have also been invited and the meet is expected to facilitate exchanges between different political parties in an attempt at opening up by China.