KATHMANDU, Nov 23: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi held a meeting with executive chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latter's residence in Khumaltar Monday morning.
The Chinese envoy’s meeting with Dahal comes at a time when an intraparty rift within the ruling NCP is at its peak due to factional feuds between the two rival factions — one led by Dahal and the other led by KP Sharma Oli.
The ambassador's meeting with the NCP leadership has courted controversy as the ruling NCP is embroiled in growing intraparty disputes over a host of issues including the controversy that surfaced in the party following the whirlwind visit of Samant Goel, the chief of Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), late last month.
Chinese ambassador meets ruling NCP's top leaders
However, Dahal's Press Advisor Bishnu Sapkota said that there was no discussion on the party's internal dispute during the meeting between the executive chairman and the Chinese ambassador.
According to Sapkota, the Chinese envoy handed over the third volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China", a book published by the Chinese government which talks about the governance system of China after Xi came to power in 2013.
"Although it was a little late, the ambassador also extended her greetings to Executive Chairman Dahal on the occasion of Nepali festivals," Sapkota told Republica. According to him, the ambassador met him briefly, just for around 15 minutes. Dahal and Hou also discussed further enhancing ties between the two countries and the two parties, Sapkota added.
The ambassador's meeting with Dahal also comes ahead of Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe's visit. The top Chinese defense official is scheduled to arrive in Nepal for an official visit on November 29.
