New Delhi: The Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Zhang Maoming, has ‘warned’ newly elected Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung against government participation in the upcoming Tibetan leadership programme in the country, Kathmandu Post reported.
According to officials quoted in a Kathmandu Post report, the ambassador’s most pointed warning concerns the upcoming swearing-in ceremony of Penpa Tsering, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration who is set to begin a second five-year term on 27 May in Dharamshala, India. Tsering secured more than 60 percent of the vote in February. The Chinese ambassador has cautioned against any official participation by the Nepal government.
“They might invite the government of Nepal to the oath-taking ceremony, so I would like to draw your attention to this matter,” the ambassador said, according to one of the officials quoted anonymously in the report.
Nepali authorities said the government reiterated its longstanding position. Anand Kafle, a Home Ministry spokesperson who attended the meeting, said Gurung clarified that Nepal would not allow its territory to be used against China and would act to contain such activities.
The home minister also reaffirmed Nepal’s adherence to the “one-China” policy, telling the ambassador that the country remained committed to its sovereignty and would not become “the pawn of any foreign power,” according to the report.
The ambassador reportedly also said that Beijing had noted pro-Taiwan activities in Kathmandu. The talks between the two were described as “very candid but straightforward”. According to the report, officials present during the meeting said that the Chinese ambassador raised issues of continued “separatist” activities by Tibetans on Nepali soil and the registration status of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
“He also drew Gurung’s attention to reports of Taiwan-related activity in Kathmandu, citing a cultural event in the capital last month where a Taiwanese flag was briefly displayed,” the report said.
The incident cited by the ambassador took place on 28 March during the 13th International Folk Festival organized by the Everest Nepal Cultural Group. The event featured participants from 11 countries and territories, including Taiwan, Germany, South Africa and Estonia. A Taiwanese flag was briefly waved before being removed following a protest.
Gurung has previously faced accusations of supporting Tibetan refugee youth during last year’s Gen Z protests, an allegation he has repeatedly denied. In October, in a Facebook post he publicly rejected claims linking his political campaign to the Free Tibet movement and foreign powers.
Chinese officials have also previously raised concerns about visits to Kathmandu by Tibetan Buddhist figures, including Jhonang Gyaltsab Rinpoche. At one point, the government led by former prime minister Sushila Karki moved to restrict such visits.
According to the report, messages of congratulations from the Dalai Lama and Tsering to Nepali leaders, including Prime Minister Balendra Shah, have drawn scrutiny in Chinese strategic circles, which interpret recent political changes in Kathmandu as a possible shift toward closer ties with Western countries.
The report further mentions that during the meeting, Ambassador Zhang also raised broader concerns about the involvement of third countries in Nepal, suggesting such dynamics could contribute to China’s strategic encirclement. Officials said he did not name any specific country.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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