China is interfering in Nepal’s internal politics through its embassy and making efforts to keep the embattled Prime Minister KP Oli’s government afloat, sources reported to Zee media on Tuesday.
Sources have warned that Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, has held many meetings with dissident leaders of Nepal, including members of the Communist Party of Nepal, and has stepped up their efforts to mediate and keep the government of Oli at large.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, on explicit orders from China’s ruling Communist Party of China, is attempting to exert its influence in Nepal’s internal politics.
According to reports, on Sunday, Hui Yanqi held a meeting with one of the leaders of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Madhav Kumar Nepal at his latter residence in Koteshwar, and expressed concern about the growing rift in the ruling NCP. After meeting senior NCP leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, Ambassador Hou also met with President Bidya Bhandari as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is under increasing pressure to step down.
This is not the first time the Chinese ambassador has intervened in the internal affairs of Nepal during a time of crisis. One and a half months ago, Hou held separate meetings with President Bhandari, Prime Minister Oli and other senior leaders, including Prachanda and Madhav Nepal, when the NCP’s intra-party feud reached its peak.
On Monday, KP Sharma Oli held another round of talks with ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to settle their differences as the crucial meeting of the party’s Standing Committee was again postponed until Wednesday, in an effort to give them more time to agree on a power-sharing agreement.
The meeting of the 45-member powerful Standing Committee of the ruling party was set to take place on Monday. But at the last minute, it was delayed. During the Standing Committee meeting Wednesday, the political future of 68-year-old Oil will now be decided.
The differences between the two factions of the NCP-one led by Oli and the other led by Prachanda on the issue of power-sharing-increased after the Prime Minister unilaterally decided to prorogue the Parliament ‘s budget session on Thursday.
On Monday, Oli and Prachanda held another round of talks to resolve their differences. In recent days, the two top leaders have held a series of talks in the midst of the intense intra-party divide over Oli’s style of functioning and anti-India statements. Their meeting ended on a “positive note” on Monday, according to a local newspaper. The two leaders will meet again on Tuesday.