KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Senior leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) have said that with the aggressive implementation of big projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the leadership of Xi Jinping, China is going to bring about a major change in the entire world order.
They said that a big change is happening just across Nepal's northern border and the whole gamut of international political dynamics is being changed by one of our two immediate neighbors, and Nepal can't afford to stay indifferent to these changes.
NCP Standing Committee Member Ghanashyam Bhusal said that the rise of China has increased the possibility of opening doors of a new world order. “This in itself is challenging. The world system which was built through a long process isn't going to collapse soon and the new system can't be built easily,” said Bhusal in his paper at a symposium entitled 'Xi Jinping Thought and BRI: Is the world order going to change?'
The event was organized by Karl Marx Birth Bicentennial Celebration Committee in Kathmandu on Saturday. “The forces of the old system will employ various tactics to foil it because they will lose their control once the new system comes into force.”
He said that the future world politics will be determined by the result of the conflict between "the new and the old world powers."
Dealing with stress
He appreciated Xi Jinping Thought, which was endorsed by the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party two years ago, as a guiding principle to help find common interests of different countries and promote mutual benefits. “In this sense, this carries the possibility of establishing a new and progressive world order, replacing the world order based on the exploitation of the western-centric financial capital,” he added.
Bhusal argued that Nepalis shouldn't remain indifferent to such a huge development taking place next door while professors, intellectuals and experts from western countries have been spending years and huge amounts of money to study the change taking place in China.
He went on to claim that the new world order will be in favor of those who have been cheated by the world systems driven by the western forces.
“Now, Nepal should be ready to benefit from the new order led by China. For that, we have to prove ourselves with our own capability,” he added.
Former finance minister Surendra Pandey, who is also a NCP Standing Committee member, said that Nepal should be able to formulate its priority to get the Chinese support when the northern neighbor enjoys strong influence in world politics.
“Top Chinese officials often complain to us for asking support without even clearly communicating our priorities,” Pandey said. “We should have a clear national policy as to how to develop our country. Only then do we have to seek other's support.”
Another NCP Standing Committee Member Janardan Sharma also expressed optimism toward the emerging new world order under Chinese leadership, saying that the future world system will be more favorable to a country like Nepal.
“The Chinese projects follow the policies of peaceful co-existence, mutual benefits and mutual cooperation. They don't exert pressure. So, we can accept them positively and benefit from them,” said Sharma. He was also quite optimistic about China becoming able to lead an alternative world politics “as the West-driven system is in a serious crisis from within”.
Also, various other leaders including former minister Ganesh Shah and former Nepali Ambassador to China, Tanka Karki, shed light on the possibility of China's rise in the world and its impact on Nepal.
The event was organized as the ruling party NCP's School Department, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Ishwar Pokharel, is going to convene a two-day symposium later this week. Senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will also participate in the symposium. A team of Chinese Communist Party members led by the head of the Chinese party's publicity department is arriving in Kathmandu to participate in the event.
In the event, NCP leaders and members will be given orientation on NCP's major policies formulated by the party following the merger of the two communist parties- CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center). Also, 'Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics' will be discussed and leaders from both NCP and Chinese Communist Party will present papers during the event.
