Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

Grenada's main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is elated with the progress being made by Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas and his seven member delegation on their current visit to Mainland China.

Speaking to GRENADA TODAY on Tuesday, the deputy political leader of the party, George Prime said that he had been in touch with Thomas who indicated that "things are going exceptionally well" in the discussions with the Chinese.

The delegation which included elected Members of Parliament, Peter David, Glynnis Roberts and Denis Lett, as well as party members Joseph Gilbert and Ferron Lowe, and Independent Senator for Agriculture Keith Clouden undertook the trip on the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

According to Prime, the Opposition Leader and his team who left the island one week ago for Mainland China have been able to hold talks with Chinese officials on several proposals that they had put together to embark on the trip.

He spoke of the NDC planning to ask the Chinese for "material assistance in the areas of scholarships, agriculture and some of the things in our manifesto" for the 2003 general elections.

The opposition leader and his delegation will also be visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong before leaving on Thursday for England on their way back home. Prime said the Congress party intends to stay three days in London in order to hold at least two public meetings with Grenadians including their party support group. The delegation is expected back home either on Sunday or Monday.

The trip by the NDC delegation to Mainland China is said to have angered the ruling New National Party (NNP) government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell which earlier this week broke off ties with Taiwan for Mainland China.

The Congress party is known to have been "courting" the Chinese on the Mainland for some time now and a few of its officials have paid secret trips to Beijing to meet with party officials.