Chinese moved to safety after Mumbai attack

By Zhu Zhe and Xin Dingding (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-27 22:57

"The fair should have opened in the morning but was cancelled for safety reasons," he said.

Hao said about 20 out of the 200-odd Chinese business people there had booked air tickets and hotels through the Nature Travels. "We are now arranging for them to leave Mumbai for Beijing as soon as possible," he said.

Hao said the company has cancelled all sightseeing plans for its clients in Mumbai, and has warned them to stay away from crowded places. "All of them are safe in a hotel, far from any of the attacked spots," he said.

Nature Travels has three more tour groups in other parts of India. "They will be made to end their tour ahead of time and refunded some of the amount they have paid," he said.

The Mumbai attacks have caused a big loss to Hao's company because about 20 tour groups to India cancelled their visits yesterday, he said.

But travel agencies are not the only ones that will suffer because of the terrorist attacks. The violence could delay some projects there that Chinese companies have invested in and raise their costs, the Chinese business people in India said.

"All our work has stopped," Yu Qiang, Huawei Telecommunications (India) Co's Mumbai branch head, said. Most of his staff are staying home because the local government has asked people not to venture out if they can avoid it, Yu said.

Andy Wang, chief representative of China Investment Development and Trade Promotion (India) Center, said: "Companies may now have to buy higher insurance for their staff in India, especially in Mumbai."

Andy Wang, who is also head of the India liaison office of Jiangsu Overseas Group Corporation, said the attacks could delay some business projects between Chinese and India companies. "Take me for example, I've cancelled my trip to Mumbai next Monday," he said from New Delhi.

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