Dharamsala, Dec 03 – The government of Nepal has reiterated assurances to visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi that it would not allow anti-China protests on its soil. The Maoist government which came under criticism from right groups for its handling of Tibetan protesters is said to have pleased China more than the earlier government of Girija Prasad Koirala in curbing anti China protests.
In exchange of Nepal’s commitment to ban anti China protests on its soil, China is offering technical and economic assistance to Nepal. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav and Yang signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement worth 100 million Yuan that would be spent on projects identified by Nepal.
China reiterated that it would consider Nepal’s request to extend the Lhasa railway to Nepal’s border, which could lay the foundation of a trans-Himalayan railway connecting China with India via Nepal. In September, China had offered a moderate military assistance of NRS 100 million when Nepal’s Maoist defence minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal visited Beijing. Last month, Beijing had sent a military delegation to Kathmandu headed by Major General I Guzeng.
Beijing is trying to cement Nepal’s allegiance to its One China policy, that considers Tibet and Taiwan to be integral and inalienable parts of the People’s Republic of China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, along with a 10-member delegation held talks with the first Maoist prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal known better as “Prachanda” and Upendra Yadav. Yang extended invitation to Prachanda to visit China. Prachanda is expected to visit China early next year. It would be his second visit to China within six months of assuming office, a diplomatic feat never achieved by any of his predecessors.
