Dharamsala, December 27 – Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal arrived in Beijing today on a six-day visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. This is Nepal’s first official visit to China since he became the prime minister in May this year. The prime minister of the Himalayan nation will also visit Lhasa, Tibet’s capital.
Nepal will also meet the Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premiere Wen and top legislator Wu Bangguo. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu, China’s established policy was to consolidate and develop good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations with Nepal on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, reported China’s state run news agency Xinhua.
Nepal’s visit highlights “his administration’s strategic balancing act between giant rivals China and India, and his efforts to show domestic opponents he too commands China’s support, according to Reuters
China’s growing economic, political and military ties with Nepal concern India, even though India’s economic involvement in the landlocked country is still greater.
Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal supports Beijing’s “One China” policy that views Tibet and Taiwan as integral parts of China. The government of Nepal has repeatedly cracked down on Tibetan protestors to keep their promise to China that it will not allow any “anti China” activity on its soil as it seeks to build closer ties with China.
Nepal had come under international criticism last year for its brutal treatment of Tibetan protesters, and was accused of acting under pressure from China.
