China not yet decides to send envoy in Modi’s oath taking ceremony

BEIJING: China has not yet announced to send its envoy to attend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s oath taking ceremony for the second term to be held in New Delhi on May 30.

“As to whether China will send an envoy to the ceremony, I have no information to offer at the moment, Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson Lu Kang said when asked was China sending a special envoy for the ceremony during his routine briefing held here on Monday.

He said that China congratulated Mr. Modi’s appointment as the Prime Minister of India’s new government last week.

The Indian Prime Minister will be administered the oath of office for his second term along with his new council of ministers on May 30.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the prime minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday at 7 pm.

Modi is the first BJP leader who has been elected for the second time after completion of his five-year tenure, a feat so far achieved only by two Congress leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

From BJP, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also elected as a prime minister for two consecutive terms, but his first stint had lasted only for one year and seven months.

Several global leaders including Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Modi on his election victory.