Kathmandu
China’s Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, has come under widespread criticism following his recent remarks concerning Nepal’s energy trade with India. Leaders of various political parties and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Nepal have called on the government to seek an explanation from Ambassador Chen, who assumed his post in Kathmandu earlier this year. During a discussion titled ‘China in the Global Economy and Its Impact on Nepal’ held on September 2, Ambassador Chen addressed Nepal’s trade relationship with India. He remarked, Unfortunately, you have a neighbor like India, but fortunately, you have a neighbor like India because India is a huge market with tremendous potential that you can tap into. But at the same time, India’s policy towards Nepal and other neighbors is not so friendly and not so beneficial to Nepal. So we call that policy of constraints. Ambassador Chen’s statement has ignited controversy in Nepal, drawing criticism from various quarters. Several politicians and foreign policy experts have expressed their objections to the comments. Madhav Kumar Nepal, a former Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN (Unified Socialist), emphasized at a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the lower house that ambassadors, particularly those from neighboring countries, should be cautious about Nepal’s geopolitical sensitivity when making statements. In response to strong objections from several lawmakers during the Committee meeting, the parliamentary committee instructed Foreign Minister N.P. Saud, who was in attendance, to caution the Chinese diplomat. Raj Kishor Yadav, Chairman of the Committee, stated during the meeting that Nepal is a sovereign and independent nation that conducts its foreign policy independently.
