Thaindian News

Patna, June 3 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will visit China mid-June to explore the possibility of investments in the state and joint venture tie-ups for tourism, trade and business, officials here said Friday.

Nitish Kumar will leave for China June 12 on an official visit, they said.

“Nitish Kumar will lead a six-member delegation including cabinet colleagues and top officials on a five-day China visit,” an official in the Chief Minister’s Office said.

Kumar will also be accompanied by officials of the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and the Bihar Industries Association.

The Chinese envoy had extended an invitation to Nitish Kumar to visit China, officials confirmed.

Nitish Kumar’s China visit may help Bihar set up agro-based industries and investments in infrastructure development. Besides, Bihar is eyeing to increase Chinese tourists in the famous Buddhist circuit in the state, officials close to the chief minister said.

“Nitish Kumar is likely to market brand Bihar during his visit to China for investments, trade and business tie-ups and to attract Chinese tourists to Bihar’s Buddhist circuit,” he said.

Officials said that like the Us and British diplomats, China too is impressed by Bihar’s changing image and development in the last few years and is keen to explore business and trade activities in joint ventures with the state.

The chief minister would try to find out what would make the stay of Chinese pilgrims comfortable and would offer land to set up tourist lodges and a Buddhist shrine at Rajgir in Nalanda district and Bodh Gaya in Gaya district.

This will be the third foreign visit of Kumar in the last five and a half years since he became the chief minister of the state. In his first tenure, he visited Mauritius in 2008 and last month in his second tenure, he visited Bhutan to explore investments and promote tourism in Bihar.