Kamal Dev Bhattarai 
Kathmandu: Nepal’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha is paying an official visit to China from Sunday (March 24) to April 1 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
This is Shrestha’s first foreign trip after the formation of the new government and after he was transferred from the home ministry to the foreign affairs ministry.
Along with participating in bilateral talks, Shrestha is scheduled to meet high-level government officials and leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.
Shrestha’s visit will come at a time when there are murmurs in political and diplomatic circles that China could be behind the formation of the new coalition government in Nepal.
However, ruling party leaders, including Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) chairman K.P. Sharma Oli, completely reject such reports, stating that it is domestic circumstances that led to the formation of the new coalition.
Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign affairs spokesperson, has reacted to Shrestha’s visit. In a regular press briefing in Beijing, he said: “The upcoming visit will be [Shrestha’s] first overseas visit after taking office as Nepal’s deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs.”
“China stands ready to work with Nepal to take this visit as an opportunity to further deliver on the important common understandings between leaders of the two countries, deepen political mutual trust, pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, expand exchanges and cooperation in various areas and strive for new progress in building China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity,” Lin said.
He added that China and Nepal were “traditional friends and neighbours linked by mountains and rivers. In recent years, our two countries maintained close high-level exchanges with deepening practical cooperation in various fields”.
“Our two sides maintained close coordination and collaboration in regional and international affairs. Last September, Prime Minister Prachanda paid an official visit to China and leaders of the two countries reached important common understandings on growing the China-Nepal relations,” Lin continued to say.
News of Shrestha’s visit also comes at a time when China is suggesting Nepal to sign an implementation plan of the Belt and Road Initiative.
However, Nepal is unlikely to sign the agreement ahead of a planned investment summit for which it is seeking the support of the international community, including India, the US and other democratic countries.
China was the first country to react on the formation of the new coalition in Nepal.
A series of statements from Beijing, along with meetings between Chinese officials and Nepali ministers during the formation of the new coalition, suggest that Beijing is optimistic following the emergence of a Left-dominated government in Kathmandu.
Earlier this month, Dahal abandoned the Nepali Congress, opting instead to forge a new coalition with the CPN-UML and other parties, resulting in the dominant presence of two key communist parties – the CPN (Maoist Center) and the CPN-UML – alongside the CPN (Unified Socialist), albeit with support from non-communist parties like the Janata Samajbadi Party and the Rastriya Swantra Party.
China has been favouring a communist-led government in Kathmandu in recent years. This week, the new coalition unveiled a common minimum program (CMP), outlining its commitment to an independent and non-aligned foreign policy grounded in the UN Charter, Panchasheel principles, global peace values and Nepal’s international obligations.
The CMP further emphasises maintaining balanced, trustworthy, and cordial relations with neighbouring countries and other friendly nations.