China extends invitation to Mamata

China has extended invitation to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to visit the country and is waiting for her response.

Consul-general of People's Republic in China in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu said that she had been invited to visit two provinces - Jiangsu and Yunan.

He said that the specific details about the dates and also her acceptance were awaited. The visit was aimed at economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

West Bengal had been an important destination for Chinese companies, he pointed out and said that many firms had invested in the state and several others were waiting for getting good local partners.

During the recently-concluded Bengal Global Business Summit, he said, a Chinese firm for example showed interest in agro-processing. Now it was looking for a local partner.

Regarding India's trade with China, he said that India's exports were increasing but not as fast as imports from that country. In this context, he said that Patanjali toothpaste had become very popular in China.