China meddling in Nepal, trying to keep KP Oli-led government afloat: Sources

NEW DELHI: 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 said on Tuesday.

Sources have warned that Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, has held several meetings with dissident Nepali leaders, including Nepal Communist Party leaders, and stepped up its efforts to mediate and keep the Oli government afloat.

On clear instructions from China’s ruling Communist Party of China, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal is trying to exert his influence in the internal politics of Nepal. 

As per information, Hui Yanqi held a meeting with one of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal at his latter's residence in Koteshwar on Sunday and showed concern over the growing rift in ruling NCP.

Ambassador Hou also met with President Bidya Bhandari after meeting the senior NCP leader Madhav Kumar Nepal as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is under mounting pressure to step down.

This is not the first time that the Chinese ambassador has intervened in Nepal's internal affairs at a time of crisis. One-and-a-half months ago, when the NCP's intra-party feud reached the climax, Hou held separate meetings with President Bhandari, Prime Minister Oli and other senior leaders including Prachanda and Madhav Nepal.

KP Sharma Oli on Monday held another round of talks with the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda' to sort out their differences as the party's crucial Standing Committee meeting was once again postponed till Wednesday, in a bid to provide them more time to agree on a power-sharing deal.

The meeting of the ruling party's 45-member powerful Standing Committee was scheduled to be held on Monday. But it was postponed at the last minute. The political future of 68-year-old Oil will now be decided on Wednesday during the Standing Committee meeting.

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 - intensified after the Prime Minister unilaterally decided to prorogue the budget session of Parliament on Thursday.

The Prachanda faction, backed by senior leaders and former prime ministers Madhav Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, has been demanding Oli's resignation.

On Monday, Oli and Prachanda held another round of talks to sort out their differences. The two top leaders have held a series of talks in recent days amid the intense intra-party rift over Oli's style of functioning and anti-India statements.

Their meeting on Monday ended on a "positive note", according to a local newspaper. The two leaders will again meet on Tuesday.