Unique tension ensued between Indian officials and Chinese ones after Chinese delegates avoided bag checking and asked for a personal internet connection at the Taj Hotel.
The Mystery of Chinese Bags
With the G20 summit just concluded in New Delhi, the one aspect that continued to puzzle the geopolitical experts was the absence of the Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Also Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Concludes G-20 Summit
Instead, it was the premier of China Li Qiang who attended the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi.
However, suspicious behavior from the Chinese delegates was reported during the course of the summit.
Image credit & source: Mint
This whole controversy started when security officers of the Taj Palace Hotel noticed that bags of the Chinese ones were unusually of a huge size.
The bags were so large that even hotel staff weren’t able to ignore them, thus prompting the security officials to take cognizance of the matter.
However, due to established protocols of diplomatic order, the security had to make way for the bags in the hotel.
Pieces of equipment of Suspicious order found
As per Times of India citing a staff member of the hotel, some equipment of suspicious order was found inside the Bag.
Image credit: Times of India
After security officials got the wind of this, they contacted their superiors for further orders.
After some deliberate discussions, they finally made a decision to ask their teams to scan the bags.
What followed was the Cold War between the delegates of China and the officials of the hotel, as Chinese delegates did not cooperate with the security officials for the checking of the bags and what they contained.
What happened afterward?
Eventually, the security personnel of Chinese delegates relented after much resistance and removed the equipment from their bags.
Later they sent the equipment to the Chinese embassy located at Delhi.
Thus resolving the matter in a quiet manner.
According to the Times of India citing their sources at the hotel, the tension was resolved after 12 hours of deadlock.
Coincidentally, the now president of G20 and Brazil Lula Da Silva also stayed at the same hotel.
Demand for Private Internet Connection
Besides the bags controversy, another unique request was also made by the delegates of China early on.
Besides refusal of the bag inspection, the delegates also requested a different and private connection to the internet.
For which the security officials politely turned down the request.
What did the bag contain?
The content of the Chinese bags is still a mystery. But as per TOI whose sources were part of the Taj hotel security elaborately described the scene.
According to the Times of India’s source, a security team consisting of 3 members stood outside the delegate’s room for around 12 hours till the security of the Chinese delegate said they would send the equipment to the Chinese embassy.
But one top official hinted towards the equipment being part of some kind of a surveillance system but isn’t sure about it as they weren’t able to check the devices.
However, One intelligence official reportedly communicated to his senior, that these devices are generally used to catch and jam the secured communication lines.
But however, what was there in the bags still remains a mystery till now.
Chinese at G20
President of China Xi Jinping, did not attend the leaders summit of G20. In his stead, he sent the premier of China Li Qiang.
The latter’s announcement was coincidentally made at last according to media reports.
The Chinese premier also did not use one of the space aircraft usually reserved for senior leaders and instead, he came in a chartered flight.
Thus surprising the Indian agencies.
