Chinese media slams Prachanda for putting ties on back-burner

From K J M Varma Beijing, Sep 20 (PTI) Irked by Prachanda’s visit to NewDelhi, state-run Chinese media today criticised India fortrying to "turn tables" against China and lashed out at thenew Nepal Prime Minister for "tricking" Beijing and puttingbilateral ties on "back burner" at the behest of India. China "feels tricked" that Nepal got close to Beijing to"relieve pressure" from India and signed a number of crucialagreements with Beijing to help get rid of its reliance on NewDelhi but later put ties on "back-burner" after the "pressure"somewhat relaxed, an article in state-run Global Times said. In a scathing attack on Prachanda and India, two articlesin the newspaper pointed to China’s anger over the regimechange in Kathmandu replacing pro-China former Prime MinisterK P Sharma Oli. "Prachanda is no more "furious" as he was once described,but rather has more realistic considerations for politicalinterest," one article said, recalling his choice to visitChina first in 2008 during his previous tenure. During his tour to India this time, the PancheshwarProject, reconstruction after the earthquake and the East-WestRailway programme were on the agenda of high-level meetings.However, all those are among the "core subjects" of China’sBelt and Road (Silk Road) initiative that can benefit Nepal,it said. "Against such a backdrop, people cannot help but askwhether Prachanda is seeking reconciliation with New Delhi ormaintaining Nepal’s status of being controlled by India," itsaid. "It seems that the relationship between Nepal and Chinastalled abruptly, and a visit by Chinese leaders to Nepal hasallegedly been suspended – an unprecedented situation," itsaid, without directly referring to postponement of ChinesePresident Xi Jinping’s planned to visit to Kathmandu nextmonth. The article said that the bilateral relationship betweenChina and Nepal seems to have "suddenly turned fragile andsensitive". "Obviously, China feels tricked. When Kathmandu neededBeijing to relieve pressure from New Delhi, it got close toChina and signed a series of crucial agreements with Beijingwhich would help Nepal get rid of its reliance on India. "But once India’s attitude toward Kathmandu relaxed a bitand the former made some promises to the latter, Nepalesepoliticians immediately put the nation’s ties with China onthe back burner," it said. The article added that in the Sino-Nepalese relationship,Kathmandu is the "one that always gets more. Beijing will losenothing, but it is Nepal that needs to consider whether itwill miss more opportunities". Another article in the same daily titled "Good ties withChina, India in Nepal’s best interest" accused India of’turning tables’ against China. "Alarmed by China’s rising influence in Nepal, India isnow trying to turn the tables. But such narrow-mindedgeopolitical logic will do favour to nobody," it said. PTI KJVSAI AKJSAI