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

A high-powered team from the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is heading to Mainland China on Tuesday on an official seven-day visit. A spokesman for the party told GRENADA TODAY that the team will be headed by Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas, and includes fellow elected Members of Parliament Peter David (Town of St. George,) Glynnis Roberts (South St. George) and Denis Lett (St. David's.)

He said that the other members of the NDC delegation paying its first formal and official trip to Mainland China are executive members Ferron Lowe and Joseph Gilbert. He disclosed that the Congress party also extended an invitation to the farmers' representative in the Senate, Keith Clouden to be a member of the visiting team to Mainland China.

According to the party official, the full itinerary is still to be finalized but the NDC delegation would be visiting the capital city of Beijing and the major business center in Shanghai. He spoke of meetings planned with a number of senior Chinese government and leading party officials.

He said the visiting NDC delegation would use the trip "to express our gratitude to the Government and People of China for the assistance given to Grenada since Hurricane Ivan especially the commitment to build houses for the Grenadian people".

Describing the visit as one of "acquaintance" for some of the top leaders of the party who would be making their first trip to Beijing, the official said that it would provide an excellent opportunity for them "to see the new developments in China which is already a major player on the world scene".

The NDC spokesman indicated that the recent establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Grenada under the ruling New National Party (NNP) government of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell did not affect NDC/Mainland China ties.

"The NDC has had relations with Mainland China for a number of years now. Our relationship with Mainland is quite independent of that between the NNP and China", he said. "Their (NNP) relationship with the PRC (People's Republic of China) has not affected our relationship with China that has developed in recent years. Our relationship (with China) continues to be strong", he added.

Prior to establishing ties with China, the Grenadian leader had ties with the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan and was critical of opposition parties that were leaning in the direction of Beijing. Dr. Mitchell accused former Opposition Leader Michael Baptiste who played a key role in leading the NDC in the direction of Taiwan of trying to sell out the country to communist China "for thirty pieces of silver".

Political sources told this newspaper that the Taiwanese have been trying to make overtures to the congress party since their expulsion from Grenada by the Mitchell government.

Party insiders have ruled out any relationship with Taiwan due to the manner in which they dealt with NDC as a major opposition grouping when they had ties with Prime Minister Mitchell and his ruling party.