Siwei said that’s the message he got from Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as well. “He told me that he wanted large-scale investment in West Bengal. I told him our government agreed with that.”

While Chinese firm Dong Fang is already helping build the 600 MW Santaldihi project at Murshidabad, the prospect of more trade has increased since the opening of the Nathu La border pass in Sikkim.

It was during the three-day visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India last year that it was agreed that China would set up its second consular office after Mumbai in Kolkata. India at the same time will open its consular office at Guangzhou.

Before the Consulate plan too, Kolkata and Beijing were exploring trade opportunities. In November 2005, West Bengal Commerce and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen went to China at the invitation of the China Economic Cooperation Center. The 20 frontline industrialists from the state who were part of the delegation were hosted by several high-ranking officials during their visit.