Nepalese take to the streets against Chinese ambassador, say 'stay at embassy'

Nepal, Ta. 8 July 2020, Wednesday

People have started protesting against the Chinese ambassador's interference in Nepal's domestic politics. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi has been meeting with Communist Party leaders to defend Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's chair. According to media reports in Nepal, Yankee has been persuading opposition leaders to defend Oli's power and the issue is being questioned in Nepal.

Nepali students staged an anti-China poster protest near the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Nepali students took a stand against Chinese Ambassador Hou Yankei's interference in Nepal's politics. He wrote slogans such as 'Go back to China', 'Chinese ambassador, stay in your embassy, ​​not in the house of our leaders'. The Chinese ambassador's growing activism in politics has also drawn sharp criticism in Nepal's media.

The party's senior leader is seeking the resignation of Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Former Prime Minister and party president Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and senior leader Madhav Nepal are leading the front against Oli. Thirty members of the 44-member Standing Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal demanded the resignation of both Oli's party president and prime minister. Apart from Prachanda and Madhav Nepal, it also includes senior leaders like Jhalanath and Bamdev Gautam. When Nepal's domestic politics is in turmoil, it is certain that the Chinese ambassador will openly interfere.

Yankee has visited all government officials in Nepal and top party leaders in the last few days. Last week, he met President Vidyabhandari of Nepal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal. Surprisingly, the External Affairs Ministry was also not informed about the meeting between the President of Nepal and the Chinese Ambassador.

The Chinese ambassador on Monday met another senior leader of the party, a leader of the opposition and Jhalanath Khanal. A person close to Jhala said that the meeting had discussed the issue of national politics. In fact, Oli is leaning towards China and that is why China does not want the party to split and pro-China Oli to fall out of power.