Premier Wen says diplomatic snub against China in Copenhagen "still a mystery"

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday that the rebukes against the Chinese delegation during last year's Copenhagen climate summit were "still a mystery."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao smiles during a press conference after the closing meeting of the Third Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 14, 2010. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

Wen said he and the Chinese delegation hadn't received any invitation to a small-scope meeting between several countries' leaders on Dec. 17 despite that China was on the list of the meeting's participating countries.

"We haven't received any explanation until now. It's still a mystery to me," Wen said.

Wen made the remarks when being asked to comment on his "decision not to attend a key meeting" before the Copenhagen climate change summit and the Chinese delegation to the Copenhagen conference being perceived as "arrogant."

Wen said he learned from a European country's leader, at a banquet hosted by Danish Queen, about the meeting that would be held later in the evening.

"I was shocked as I had received no notification that China was invited," he said.

He immediately told the Chinese delegation to check and confirmed that no notification had been received.

"Even though, I decided to send Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei to the meeting on behalf of the Chinese delegation," he said.