(TibetanReview.net, Dec01’20) – China wants Nepal to stop the free-flow of Tibetans who travel to Dharamshala in India to meet Tibet’s highest spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the PTI news agency Nov 30 cited a Chinese defence ministry statement as saying. The occasion was the visit to Nepal by China’s Defence Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe who is also a State Councilor.
The report said Gen. Wei had lauded Nepal’s leadership for resolutely pursuing the ‘one-China’ policy and offered firm support to the Himalayan country in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Under the ‘one-China’ policy, Beijing emphasizes other countries to recognize Taiwan and Tibet as part of China, the statement was cited as saying.
During his one-day visit Nov 29, Wei met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and held talks with Army chief Gen. Purna Chandra Thapa on ways to resume military cooperation and training, the report said.
China and India are locked in a shadowy political contest in the corridors of power in Kathmandu, noted tribuneindia.com Nov 30. China’s ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi has been playing a prominent role in healing rifts in the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) while India has the Nepal Congress in its corner as well as some Madheshi parties and a large part of its bureaucracy, the report said.
Oli, facing calls to resign over corruption and other allegations, has less than majority support in the ruling party’s politburo and was reported to be open to splitting the party, something China has been strenuously trying to avert.
The Chinese defence minister’s visit came days after India’s Foreign Secretary Mr Harsh Vardhan Shringla wrapped up his maiden two-day visit to Nepal.
And in first week of November, the Indian Army chief Gen. M M Naravane paid a three-day visit to Nepal with the aim to reset bilateral ties that had come under severe strain following a bitter border row between the two countries.
