China, US, refuse to accept mangoes sent by Pakistan as part of ‘mango diplomacy’: Report

New Delhi | Pakistan’s all weather friend China has refused to accept sweet and juicy mangoes sent by the Pakistani president Arif Alvi to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The stated reason is quarantine regulations prevent the gift from reaching the Chinese President.

The same fate befell the prized Chaunsa mangoes in the US, Canada, Nepal, Egypt, Sri Lanka and many other countries. The fear of Covid has forced the crestfallen mangoes to return to their home base in the Pakistani foreign office, reports Pakistani daily The News.

Quoting its sources, the daily said that the Pakistan Foreign Office had also listed the French president among the expected recipients of the gift. Paris has so far not responded to Pakistan’s outreach.

The Foreign Office is dispatching “Chaunsa” mangoes to the heads of more than 32 countries including Iran, Gulf countries, Turkey, United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Russia, on behalf of the president as part of, some would say, anachronistic “Mango diplomacy,” which may not be fashionable in the digital age.

It is not known whether mangoes have been sent to India or not. In 2014, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sent a box of choicest Pakistani mangoes, to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

IANS

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