We have no political choice in Nepal: Chinese Ambassador

N. P. Upadhyaya

Kathmandu: The Kathmandu based Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohang, April 21, 2010, made some remarkable observations as regards the ups and downs observed in Nepal-China relations during the past two decades.

If he on the one hand lauded Nepal’s efforts aimed at containing the anti-China activities being conducted from the Nepali soil, on the other hand, he also expressed his inner pains as well as to how his country’s assistance programs were in a surprisingly and humiliating manner treated by the “democratic” governments that came after the 1990 change.

We will come to this later.

On April 21, 2010, China’s State Council declared that the entire nation will mourn the April 14, 2010, earthquake dead. The State mourned nationwide, we were told by the Chinese envoy.

The Chinese national flag fluttered half-mast across the country and its embassies and consulates around the world.

Said the Chinese Ambassador, April 21, 2010, afternoon that the fresh earthquake that struck the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu of Qinghai province took two thousand plus precious lives.

Ambassador Qiu Guohang made these observations while talking to some senior Nepali media men at a program organized by the freshly established “Nepal-China Media Forum”, headed by Senior Editor Kishor Shrestha. The Chinese envoy however, assured the attending media men that the quake hit persons and families have by now already been relocated and rehabilitated in safer places and that the school classes which had got disrupted by the 7.1 Richter scale quake been resumed.

Huge investments will be made in the quake hit area by Beijing through a specific plan, disclosed the Chinese envoy.

“Neither there were any incidents of social disorder nor panic prevailed for long despite the fact that some anti-China elements wanted to cash in from the earthquake devastation”, the Chinese envoy took a sigh of relief.

As regards the Dalai lama’s intent, as per media reports, to visit the quake hit area in China, the Ambassador was smart and quick enough to push his comments stating, “ Who is this person called Dalai?...Everybody know what he has been doing…He is not even a religious leader as he claims for himself”.

Thus the Chinese envoy brushed aside the likelihood of the Dalai’s intended visit to China’s quake hit region.

How the Beijing authorities hate and take the Dalai became evident.

He also disclosed that the Chinese television, CCTV, drive to collect donations for the quake victims in a single day had over 20 billion RMB Yuan and the donations continue as of now.

Talking on Nepal-China relations, the Chinese Ambassador told the media gathering that “Nepal is very important country for us….but we have also our concerns attached with.”

“We want politics to become stable in Nepal and hope to see a developed Nepal and are confident that political stability in Nepal becomes a permanent feature at the earliest”, said the Chinese Ambassador.

Suggesting the present day Nepali leadership, the Ambassador from the North said, “All should think of long term interest of this country and forge unity and consensus and regain political stability”.

This does mean that the Ambassador is not that happy with the kind of politics the Nepali leaders have been playing against their own country which was, says the Chinese diplomat by implication not in Nepal’s interests, impeding not only Nepal’s economic development but also for the restoration of political stability.

But yet, declares the Ambassador, “We will continue to support Nepal in its drive for economic development”.

 He also mentioned during the course of his speech that “China as such has no special preference or choice in Nepal as to who should be in the government or run the government.

“It should be the choice of the Nepalese people to decide on their own and rest assured we have no choice in this regard”, clarified the Chinese envoy.

As usual, the Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohang “appreciated Nepal’s One China Policy”.

He also assured that any Chinese assistance which will come to Nepal will definitely be routed through government to government channel.

Interestingly, the Chinese envoy hinted that “some mega Hydro Projects will be soon signed by Nepal and China”.

“Could be the harnessing the water of upper Marsyangdi, he indicated.

The Chinese diplomat also revealed that Nepal government has asked for one billion soft loan and the Beijing authorities have yet to finalize on Nepal’s request. He, however, reminded the attending media men that if the Nepali request will be honored then it will have no strings attached.

“We never correlate our assistance for our political gains or whatsoever” Ambassador Qiu assured.

According to Ambassador a dry port at Tatopani and the improvement of the current Ring Road (Eight lane proposition) is being discussed at the highest level.

We also plan to construct some fly-over bridges in Kathmandu to do away with the traffic jam problems, however, that has also been not approved as yet.

As regards the talks of railway extension from Lhasa to Kathmandu, the Ambassador emphatically said that “we remain committed in this regard.

“The extension of railway network to Nepal will be a strategic move for the entire South Asian region as this network will benefit the entire south Asian region in its own exemplary manner. More so, in the expansion of trade and economy of the region.

The Ambassador had a mysterious laugh or say a different smile when he revealed the Chinese pain in front of the media men, April 21, 2010, by stating that “a host of the China aided and assisted projects were sold at a very dirt cheap price…those were the Chinese gift for the people of Nepal but were sold….”

Talking of the Bansbari Shoe factory, the Chinese Ambassador, Qiu Guohang cut a joke by saying that “even this factory, we have been told, was sold to some foreign countries”.

The Ambassador is correct when he says these words.

To recall, during Girija Prasad’s Premiership, he instructed his finance minister Mahesh Acharya to sell practically all the China constructed projects for reasons best known to the then “democratic” government. Thus the Chinese annoyance is logical.

Interestingly, after the lapse of several years of the “grand reduction sale” of the China constructed projects, the Chinese envoy expressed his displeasure. Why it took so long?

The media interaction was best coordinated by Kishor Shrestha.

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• Posted on - 2011-03-21    by     bhimrajgurung
• Congress party is definitely pro-India which they don't declare it openly but it is an open secret.On the other hand they don't want to displease them.A tricky situation! But China have proved a friend in need from time to time-they may have their strategical requirement as our southern neighbour has in nepal. Nepal has to act in a manner which does not hurt feelings of both our good neighbours;that will be in the intrest of our nation.

• Posted on - 2010-04-29    by     deepak
• What a shame, cheap & greedy, is our great old & new leaders, who they are sales our nation & treasury to their benefit even not spar gift coming from china to sale? Great Jai Nepal. Neta harulia Trisulima Hal.