'Focus on economy‚ not ethnicity'

LEKHANATH PANDEY

KATHMANDU:The visiting officials of Communist Party of China (CPC) have conveyed Beijing’s message to the Nepali parties and senior leaders that a prolonged debate on ethnic federalism will lead the country to nowhere.

Ai Ping, a Vice Minister at the CPC’s International Department who is leading the Chinese team, shared China’s experience with CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on Saturday that no country can achieve development in its provinces simultaneously and equally as it has been expected in Nepal.

“We could not develop all provinces equally at the same time,” Milan Tuladhar, a member of CPN-UML’s foreign affairs department, quoted Ai as telling Chairman Khanal while referring to the ongoing debate that making future federal states equally prosperous and developed. “We could rather do this one after another. Our experience says that choosing the infrastructurally feasible provinces at first would be the best approach for development.”

He also stressed consensus among parties for stability, peace and prosperity in Nepal.He said Nepal had missed the development opportunity of its neighbours.

The Chinese team met the top leaders of major three parties —UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Khanal—separately today.

He also met Chairman of newfound CPN-Maoist Mohan Baidya at a hotel.

He arrived in Kathmandu on Friday evening, leading a dozen senior CPC officials who are said to be experts on South Asia and Nepal.

This is the first high-level visit from China in the wake of Constituent Assembly’s demise on May 27.

According to Tuladhar, Ai conveyed the Chinese message regarding the purported ethnic federalism diplomatically. “He, however, did not use straight language for saying that the ethnic basis for federating the country was inappropriate.”

Tuladhar, an expert on China in the CPN-UML and the party chairman’s close aide, was also present during the hour-long meeting held at the CPN-UML headquarters in Balkhu this morning.

Ai Ping clearly said that Beijing does not want to see Nepal, which borders with its volatile Tibet region, as an unstable and crisis-ridden country.

Experts say that Beijing fears that the Western countries-backed ethnicity rights movement in Nepal will ultimately bring forth a security threat to its Tibetan Autonomous Region from Nepal’s northern part.

While taking a few questions of the media, Ai said that during the meeting with Khanal he underscored the urgency of consensus among the parties.

Expressing worries over Nepal ignoring the essence of economic development, he said that the economic issues should be given priority for the development of the nation.

Apart from the current political and economic situation, Ai talked about the split in ruling UCPN-Maoist party with its Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-Maoist leader Baidhya.

Interestingly, Ai invited Baidhya to visit China and stressed on good relations between Communist Party of China and CPN-M, according to party secretary Dev Gurung.