Friendship Matters
More than a year after major political change, prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala is scheduled to visit China
By KESHAB POUDEL
Despite joining of the government by the Maoists and reduction of political role and status of King, there is no sign of political stability in Nepal. In his recent interview, Chinese ambassador Zheng Xianglin shows how much they are concerned about new development in Nepal .
At a time when China ’s concerns are growing in the context of prolonging political instability, the proposed visit of Nepalese prime minister Koirala - who has already twice visited southern neighbor India in last one year - to China , has a great significance.
According to a high level source of Prime Minister's Office, prime minister Koirala is scheduled to leave for China in the second week of August. The source has also revealed that Chinese vice minister is coming to Nepal to prepare the agenda for the visit of prime minister Koirala. This will be the first high level visit by Nepalese delegation to its northern neighbor following the visit of then deputy prime minister and foreign minister K.P. Sharma Oli in August 2006.
Sharing more than 1400 kilometers long border with Tibetan Autonomous Region, China always wants to see Nepal as a stable, prosperous and independent nation since the treaty of Betrabati signed between China and Nepal in 1792 in which China states that it will come to Nepal 's assistance in event of any attack by foreign power.
This is the consistent policy of China in Nepal . Whether remarks made by former Chinese primer Zhu Rongji or vice premier Marshal C'hen-Yi or state councilor Tang Jiaxuan, or recent interview given by Chinese ambassador to Nepal Zheng Xianglin, China has shown consistent policy towards Nepal.
"We consistently support Nepal in its effort to safeguard sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Nepal is a sovereign country and its internal affairs shall not be interfered with any way by any outside force. We believe that Nepalese government and people have the political wisdom and capabilities to solve their own problems," said Tang Jiaxuan in his statement in given in March 2006.
In his recent interview to Nepal weekly (see Nepal National weekly, June 17), Chinese ambassador to Nepal Xianglin states that China will not tolerate any foreign interference in Nepal ’s internal affairs. "Our policy has not changed on Nepal," said Chinese ambassador replying to a query whether China still stands by what former Chinese foreign minister and vice premier Marshal C'hen-Yi had said in 1960s. He had then said, "in case any foreign army makes a foolhardy attempt to attack Nepal ….China will side with the Nepalese people." This statement was given in October 5, 1962 at a banquette to celebrate the first anniversary of Nepal-China boundary treaty.
Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, who visited Nepal on May 14, 2001 or17 days before the assassination of King Birendra, had said, "China has all along stood for equality among all countries regardless of the size, wealth or strength, and firmly opposed the bullying of the small or the poor or weak by the big rich and strong."
China ’s concern in Nepal is its security. "In the context of aggressive and expansionist policy of India in South Asia and beyond, that too in the nations which borders China, it becomes imperative and neighborly responsibility for Beijing to help, sustain and maintain the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of its neighbors specially of a country like Nepal with whom its security is inseparably linked.. In
Nepal ’s case, India has already advanced itself too far inside Nepal and India is about to control up to the Himalayas . Nehru has declared Himalayas as India ’s security crest. By declaring this military doctrine, Nehru wanted to influence beyond the Himalayas . For China , importance of Nepal is no less than any of the south Asian nations. Trade is not the deciding factor for Nepal . China is committed to come to Nepal ’s assistance," said Madan Regmi, chairman of China Study Center Nepal .
China has adjusted all political reality in Nepal as Chinese Mandarins have shown that they can adjust with any system in Nepal provided the authorities respect their security sensitivity.
"From China's point of view, securing the cooperation or at least the neutrality of all of the Tibetan Autonomous Region's neighbors on the sensitive question of Tibetan Exile activity is not only a matter of rhetoric but also a political necessity in order to create a favorable environment for implementation of Beijing's global strategy in the Himalayas," writes Thierry Mathou in his article Tibet and Its Neighbors in Asian Survey in 2005.
Chinese scholars too see Nepal 's stability as important factor. "For Beijing , Nepal 's strategic disposition is of tremendous value to its South Asia policy and to the stability in its frontier region: Tibet . In specific, Nepal figures in China 's strategic configuration," writes Hue Han, School of International Studies Peking University in her article on the Strategic Dimension in Sino-Nepalese Relations.
"The security threat felt by Tibetan Autonomous Region of China when these three Himalayan States Nepal , Bhutan and Sikkim were under British security umbrella is even now a very sensitive issue for China . Thus, independent and sovereign Nepal is one of the necessary elements for China security," writes professor Wang Xung in his book Nepal 's National Defensive Strategy and Nepal-China Relations.
Nepal’s geopolitical reality has not changed much. "On Nepal ’s broader international situation, Prithvi Narayan was characteristically concise: the country is like a gourd between two boulders. This remark was made when China was governed by Manchu and India by the British East India Company. Yet no revision is needed to update it for the twenty first century, when India is a self governing republic and China communist," writes professor of Harvard University Francis G. Hutchins in his recently book democratizing Monarch, A Memoir of Nepal's King Birendra.
This time the invitation from China to the prime minister seems to concentrate on real issues between these two countries. "For that China seems to have started its homework by sending high ranking official to sort out agenda to be discussed and settled in Beijing . China this time does not depend on the memory of the person in delegation but they seem to concentrate on real business," said a political analyst.
