Nepal-China
Rock Solid Relations

By Lok Deep Thapa

IN SPITE of the setbacks in different development matters, Nepal has been very fortunate in two things. In the first place, this Himalayan Kingdom has been blessed by nature with splendid endowments. Perhaps very few other nations can boast about such natural assets.

Then secondly, through man-made efforts, Nepal enjoys the goodwill of virtually all countries of the world, and it shares the best of relations with all such nations. This is also no mean achievement for a developing country like Nepal, which is sandwiched between two gigantic neighbours, with two very different political and social systems.

But firstly, in terms of its natural assets, Nepal can boast about having the highest mountains of the world, some of the most powerful rivers that can produce unmatchable hydro-power, rolling hills which easily enchant any lover of nature, the best of climatic conditions and also the most exotic flora and fauna that are treats for the eyes. Nepal, in spite of its small size, has all of them and more.

Now to come to the its international relations, it is indeed a plus point for Nepal, to have friendly relations with all countries of the world, irrespective of their geographical positions or political systems. In this regard, it may be mentioned here that His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, has played a crucial role in enhancing Nepal’s international image and giving a big
boost to Nepal’s balanced foreign policy approach.

The present State Visit to China by His Majesty, which begins today (Monday, February 26), is also another milestone in the long march the Nepalese Monarch has undertaken to cement Nepal’s relations with the outside nations. In the almost three decades since His Majesty ascended the Throne, His Majesty has made 20 state visits to different countries of the world and the present visit will be the 21st one in His Majesty’s continuing efforts to better Nepal’s foreign relations with neighbouring and other nations.

It may be recalled that His Majesty’s first State Visit was in 1973. That was the same year when His Majesty made his first State Visit to China as well. The present visit of His Majesty is also very significant in its own way. During this State Visit, His Majesty has been bestowed a special respect by the host nation, by making His Majesty the "Guest of Honour" at the inaugural ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia at Boao in Hainan Island. President Jiang Zemin will also be present at the inaugural ceremony in which high level dignitaries from 24 Asian countries will be participating. Boao is a picturesque place in the Hainan Island Province of China, which is in the Southernmost corner of that country.

The province with a population of 7.43 million is very rich in sea resources, having 1528 km of coastline and 25,667 hectares of sea beaches. This province gets more than 5 million tourists each year.

The main objective of this unique Boao Forum, which was first discussed by several former Asian leaders in Manila in 1998, will be to generate ideas for productive economic, business and cultural integration of the Asian economies with each other and with the global economy. It also aims to provide support for those ideas and to initiate support for their implementation through human resource development, technological exchange and international public education.

His Majesty is scheduled to address this special meeting and this should definitely be taken as a unique opportunity when once again the Nepalese King will put forward the country’s views on different issues in front of such an august gathering. It is quite certain His Majesty will also make clear Nepal’s needs and aspirations in its goal towards developing itself.

While talking of Nepal-China ties, it is there for all to see that China has been extending a willing hand in Nepal’s development efforts. From bridges to roads and factories and sporting complexes, China has provided assistance as well as technical expertise in building many such physical infrastructures in different parts of the Himalayan Kingdom. The new Birendra International Sports Complex at Lalitpur, where many of the events of the last Kathmandu South Asian Federation (SAF) Games were held, is the latest such symbol of Nepal-China friendship.

But it is not that, the relations between Nepal and China started with such cooperation in the past few decades only. The friendly ties have been there since time immemorial in spite of the tall Himalayas standing between the two nations. Like mentioned by several scholars both in Nepal and China, the mountains have acted not like barriers, but like an everlasting bond between the two friendly nations.

It is encouraging that along with cooperation in different fields, the trade between Nepal and China has also been constantly growing. However, it is also a fact that Nepal imports much more goods from China than it exports to that country.

In recent years, through its systematic opening up in the economic front, China has gone on to become one of the most vibrant economies of the world. There is a lot that Nepal can learn from China in this regard and at the same time, it can also benefit in many ways by hooking up with that country’s fast growing economy. The presence of a sizeable delegation of Nepalese industrialists and businesspersons in the present visit indicates that Nepal is quite serious in further expanding its trade ties with China.

The highlight of the current State Visit of His Majesty to China will be the ceremonial and warm welcome at the Great Hall of the People at Beijing on March 1st by President Jiang Zemin of the People’s Republic of China. That same day, the two leaders will also hold official talks and in the evening a State Banquet will be organised in honor of His Majesty by the Chinese President.

The great respect that His Majesty enjoys in China, can also be vouched by the fact that His Majesty is the first Head of State to have ever visited the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China back in 1976.

As all Nepalese bid a warm send-off to His Majesty at the beginning of His Majesty’s third State Visit to China, it can be hoped that the present Royal tour will contribute significantly in further consolidating the rock solid relations between Nepal and China.

UML, RPP And Movement Against PM

By Prakash Rimal

AS expected, the opposition parties boycotted the House proceedings on Friday. The House is expected to meet tomorrow (Tuesday) — that’s what the Speaker has said and newspapers brought to us on Saturday.

Boycotts No More Newsy

In fact, the deadlocks, the disruptions, the manhandling seem to have ceased to make any news any more. The voters turn to the news, perhaps only to determine on their own the extent of damage in the case of serious confrontations.

In all probablity, the Tuesday session may also be disrupted or boycoted or adjourned for three simple reasons: The White Paper the government issued on Saturday will fail to convince the opposition parties, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will, naturally, not yield to the opposition’s propaganda that he has been implicated in the Lauda Air deal nor will the opposition parties withdraw the hyped charges, which they have already carried too far.

Shortly after the Speaker announced the adjournment of the House on Friday, the opposition parties that have teamed up against the Prime Minister said they had decided to hold a mass meeting at the Open Air Theatre on March 2.

This clearly indicates the opposition parties have adopted a double strategy to step up pressure on the Prime Minister to resign. They will continue to disrupt the House proceedings (to legitimise the ensuing activities and to defend themselves from the ensuing public criticisms for taking things to the street) as a form of protest from within. Next they will channel the protests out to the streets via peaceful mass meetings initially. The forms may gradually turn violent at a certain stage. This, however, will depend almost entirely on the public reaction to the series of protests leading to that point of time.

UML Goes Backyard

The Communist Party of Nepal (UML) took up the issue and spearheaded the campaign that aims to unseat Koirala. At the beginning, it looked like the main opposition party had been able to rally other parties behind its campaign to unseat the Prime Minister (just as Nepali Congress did in 1990) over Lauda Air Deal.

As the time passes, UML seems to be moving backyard and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party is emerging as the dark horse.

Was UML "requested" by RPP then to lead the campaign initially only to seek the legitimacy of the campaign (which was a must because of the main opposition party’s sheer size and because no body, even today, really takes RPP seriously irrespective of the number of seats they hold or their commitments to democracy). Is it the UML being used again? The leaders of that party should perhaps sit across the table to draw a conclusion through brainstorming.

There is enough reason to be convinced that RPP is now captaining the ship. Let’s look at what was decided on Friday. RPP leader Pashupati SJB Rana led the boycott on Friday and the rest followed. Chairman of Public Accounts Committee Suvash Nembang on the same day disclosed: A mass meeting is going to be held and a committee has been formed under Jog Mehar Shrestha of RPP as coordinator to organise the rally (which has been scheduled for March 2). The other members of the Jogmehar committee include Chitra Bahadur KC of Rastriya Janamorcha, Narayan Man Bijukchhe of Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party, Lila Mani Pokhrel of Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal and Ishwar Pokrel of UML.

Of all the people from RPP, why Jogmehar? As a sovereign citizen of this country Jogmehar does enjoy individual rights to voice his likes or dislikes for or against anyone. As an RPP stalwart, Jogmehar does have every right to lead the protests, but does Jogmehar have the legitimacy to lead the protests that are supposed to be headed by the main opposition party? The UML leaders should bother to discuss this, at least, amongst themselves. But will they? That is the question.

The UML is traditionally believed to have a strong following in Kathmandu. That looks convincing even today (The party swept 5 of the seven seats in the general election of 1999). Should not UML itself have taken the responsibility to organise the mass meeting in question? If not, should not the main opposition party have gone for at least some one elected?

Nepali Congress and the seven leftist factions headed by the Communist Party of Nepal launched a movement against the erstwhile Panchayat democracy in 1990. It was jointly decided that Congress leader Ganeshman Singh would command the movement that was meant to restore democracy in Nepal. And, that spirit did stay through to the end of the movement, leading to the advent of democracy in about six weeks.

Unlike then, what could be UML’s obligations to hand over the movement to Jogmehar?

Winners and the Losers

Rastriya Prajatantra Party is in the win-win situation, though. If at all the campaign materialises it will definitely have a bigger, perhaps the dominant say, in the next equation. If nothing happens, it can always point a finger on the official leaders of the present movement against the Prime Minister.

UML, whose activities seem overt as of now, may have a little advantage if the movement succeeds, but the party will experience substantial losses if it fails. The risks increase each time the party pushes forward. And, the anti-Koirala camp in the ruling party (who have extended covert support to the movement) will be the real losers — no matter whether the opposition bid to terminate the PM succeeds or fails. But they will take sometime to realise it.