KATHMANDU, Feb 28: A day after Nepal parliament endorsed the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant agreement amid its reservations, China has said that it has noted the decision and the Interpretive Declarations passed along with the MCC grant agreement.

Responding to a media query on China's reaction to the decision taken by Nepal parliament to ratify the MCC agreement, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that any such agreement should not interfere in other country's internal affairs.  “We noted the decision and the declaration by the Nepalese parliament,” he said.

Spokesperson Wang also said that China has stressed repeatedly that international formal cooperation should follow the principle of mutual respect, equal treatment and fully respect the sovereignty of the country concerned and the will of its people.

“It should not interfere in other country’s internal affairs to engage in coercive diplomacy, undermine other sovereignty and interest out of selfish interests,” he said, adding that Beijing always supported Nepal choosing an independent path of development," he further said.

Major political parties in Nepal were sharply divided on whether to accept the US grant assistance under the MCC agreement as a section of parties argued that this was a part of the military strategy of the US government. Party leaders admitted privately that Beijing had consistently nudged Nepali political leadership not to accept the grant agreement as this could harm Beijing's security interests.

The ruling parties had finally agreed to ratify the agreement by passing a separate Interpretative Declarations on the MCC grant agreement. The Interpretive Declarations include the statements that the MCC is not part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the US government, Nepal’s constitution will be above any provisions of the MCC and the country will perceive it purely as economic assistance from the US government.

 
• China
 
• Nepal
 
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