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HOME	SEPTEMBER 24th, 2005

Grenada's ruling New National Party (NNP) government is not happy with the decision of Mainland China to invite a high-powered team from the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to visit Beijing this week.

Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas left the island Tuesday for London enroute to Mainland China at the head of a seven member team which includes three other members of Parliament - Peter David (Town of St. George, Glynnis Roberts (South St. George) and Denis Lett (St. David's).

The delegation is completed by senior party officials, Ferron Lowe and Joseph Gilbert, as well as Independent Senator, Keith Clouden who is travelling in his capacity as the member in the Senate for the farming community. Sources close to the Keith Mitchell government said that the Chinese by their actions are showing that they are "in bed with the NDC".

A source who spoke on condition that he was not identified indicated that the Mitchell government did not anticipate Beijing extending an invitation so soon to the Congress party to visit the FarEast country. "We (NNP government) have just signed diplomatic relations with them (China). And quite frankly, the agreement has not even settled down properly and this is what they (the Chinese) are doing", he remarked.

"We know that they (China) have been dealing with the NDC boys and them but I think they lacked some good judgement and common sense by inviting them (NDC) at this early stage", he said. The NNP would not say what the Mitchell government might do in order to show its disgust with the Chinese on the trip by the high-powered members of the congress party.

Prime Minister Mitchell broke off diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan earlier in the year for a multi-million dollar package from Beijing. Prior to this, the Grenadian leader had been openly hostile to China and had accused some opposition politicians in the country of trying to sell out the country for "thirty pieces of silver" to the communist Chinese on the mainland.

The Mitchell government had also accused the Chinese in Beijing of financing the NDC campaign during the 2003 general elections. The Congress delegation would be meeting in Beijing with a number of top government and party officials, as well as conduct visits to other cities including Shanghai which is recognised as the major business center in China.

Party insiders confided in this newspaper that the NDC delegation would ask the Chinese for assistance in the area of party work and for help in other projects that can assist Grenada in this trust for development.

The NDC is also insisting that its party has had a "special relationship" with the Chinese for sometime now and this is separate and distinct to whatever ties the NNP was now trying to cement with Beijing. The opposition leader and his delegation would leave China on September 29 for London on their way back home.