Kathmandu: China, a northern neighbor, is worried about the unexpected dissolution of parliament in Nepal and the split of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN).
Amid concerns, Chinese Communist Party Deputy Minister for International Affairs Guo Yezhou is visiting Nepal today. China has not yet commented on Nepal’s political developments yet.
It has been said that China’s biggest concern right now is the split of the CPN (Maoist) in Nepal. China, that played a key role in uniting the then CPN-UML and the Maoist center and then strengthening it after the formation of the CPN (Maoist), is concerned about the break-up of the unity.
As the power struggle within the CPN (Maoist) has intensified in recent months, China has been telling top CPN leaders: “We have no suggestion on who will be the prime minister and party chairman, but let the CPN (Maoist) be united.”
For months, China has been urging CPN leaders to protect the party and keep Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government in power for five years. In a meeting with former Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi expressed interest in partition and the possibility of unity.
In a recent meeting with CPN (Maoist) leaders, Ambassador Yanqi has suggested reunion. The Chinese foreign minister, who is due to arrive today, is also expected to discuss the cause of the split and suggest a reunion.
Another concern of China, which is affiliated with the CPN, is that political instability will resume in Nepal. China understands that political instability will affect its security interests in Nepal.
From the end of the monarchy, China has been in search of a reliable power to understand and address its sensitivities. When the Maoists emerged as the largest party in the first Constituent Assembly elections, China began to see the Maoists as a credible force, but later the Maoists split.