Nepal's feuding communist leaders welcome China's meddling as Xi's envoy goes on spree

The high-level Chinese delegation led by a vice minister of the Communist Party of China met top Nepal Communist Party leaders on Monday and discussed the political situation in the country as Beijing tries to patch differences between Nepal's feuding leaders.

Chinese delegation meets Prachanda

Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Guo Yezhou, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday, met Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who claims control over the ruling party after removing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from the posts of the party's parliamentary leader and chair.

Contemporary politics, especially that has arisen after Oli's move to dissolve the House of Representatives, the possibility of bringing the two factions of the NCP together and Nepal-China cooperation figured during the talks, The Kathmandu Post reported, quoting Prachanda's secretariat.

Later, the Chinese delegation met former PM Madhav Kumar Nepal, who has replaced Oli as chairman of the Prachanda-led faction. Monday's meetings came a day after the four-member team led by Guo held separate talks with President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Oli to patch up differences.

According to PTI, Prime Minister Oli, after his meeting with Guo at his official residence in Baluwatar, said Nepal and China have promoted and strengthened the bilateral relations to a new height in recent years. China has been supporting Nepal as a close neighbour and a friend of Nepal, Oli said.

"China has been providing support and assistance in each and every sector of Nepal and it would be continued in the coming days as well," Oli's Foreign Affairs Advisor Rajan Bhattarai said. "Nepal and China as well as the two Communist parties have been enjoying excellent bilateral relations for a long time," he said. Guo conveyed President Xi Jinping's New Year greetings to Oli.

China's meddles in Nepal's internal affairs

Guo, who personally knows all senior NCP leaders, will also meet the main Opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) president Sher Bahadur Deuba and Janata Samajbadi chair Upendra Yadav. Nepal plunged into a political crisis last Sunday after Prime Minister Oli, known for his pro-Beijing leanings, in a surprise move, recommended dissolving the 275-member House, amidst a tussle for power with Prachanda.

Acting on the Prime Minister's recommendation, President Bhandari dissolved the House the same day and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10, sparking protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party.

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A wary China rushed Vice Minister Guo to Kathmandu after its high-profile Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi failed to sort out differences between Oli and Prachanda. China is not happy with the split in the largest communist party of Nepal, according to sources. Guo is trying to patch up differences between the two warring factions of the ruling party - one led by Oli and the other led by Prachanda - during his four days stay in Nepal, the media reports said.

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Meanwhile, just as a Chinese delegation is in Kathmandu to "assess" the political situation in Nepal after KP Sharma Oli government’s move of dissolving the House of Representatives, which resulted in the split of the Nepal Communist Party, Beijing said on Monday that it hopes relevant parties can properly manage internal differences. "

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We noticed the latest political developments in Nepal," said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in Beijing during a regular press briefing.

"As the country's friend and close neighbour, we hope relevant parties in Nepal can take into account the national interests and the big picture, properly manage internal differences and commit themselves to political stability and national development," The Kathmandu Post quoted him as saying.

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