Xiamen [China], Sep 4 : A scheduled airport welcoming ceremony in Xiamen for Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cancelled on Sunday due to the bad weather.
"The aircraft carrying Indian PM arrived in Xiamen on Sept 3. A scheduled airport welcoming ceremony was canceled due to heavy rainfall," People's Daily China tweeted.
The Chinese explanation came to dispel the impression of a snub. Prime Minister Modi is in China to attend Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit.
"We are really excited to meet him. He is a PM who made India popular in the whole world. We are proud that we have a Prime Minister like him," said an Indian man. "We are really happy that we meet him. It is like a life-time achievement for us," said another delighted Indian woman. The ninth BRICS summit is set to start in Xiamen under China's Chairmanship. Earlier, the Prime Minister had said that he was looking forward to productive discussions and positive outcomes during the multilateral forum.
The Prime Minister further stated that he will also interact with the BRICS Business Council represented by captains of industry from all five countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
He also mentioned that he would meet leaders bilaterally on the sidelines of the summit. Highlighting the significance of BRICS, the Prime Minister noted that it has important contributions in addressing global challenges and upholding world peace and security.
Furthermore, it's being reported that the Prime Minister will also raise the issue of terrorism during the summit and how it affects the BRICS nations.
Source: ANI