Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

07-December-2011 20:57 IST

Commerce, Industry and Textiles Minister, Shri Anand Sharma expressed a sense of relief over the release of Indian diamond traders who were arrested in China last year on alleged charges of smuggling diamonds.

Commerce and Industry Minister has written to Chinese counterpart conveying the deep appreciation of Indian Government. He had strongly raised this issue with Chinese Trade Minister Chen Deming during the meeting of the Joint Economic Group in Beijing on 19th January 2010, a few days after the arrests. The matter was firmly pursued with the Chinese authorities by Indian officials. Shri Sharma had also raised the issue when he called on Chinese PM Wen Jiabao.

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Diplomatic intervention secures release of detained traders by government after sustained bilateral representations and high-level engagement. Diplomatic interventions concerned detained Indian diamond traders in China after alleged smuggling; the Government used formal written representations, raised the issue in bilateral trade fora and in high-level meetings, and pursued persistent consular and official follow-up to seek resolution.