KATHMANDU: In recent times, pro-China elements in Nepal have been creating a chain of mendacities and lies that are manipulated by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

The Embassy has even tried to create narratives to mislead the public discourse.

The statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy, Wang Xiaoling on Thursday is one such example.

The Spokesperson reacted to the continuous protests held by some organizations alleging China for encroaching Nepal’s territory, imposing an unannounced blockade on Nepal, banning Nepali students from returning to China and interfering in Nepal’s internal affairs.

Issuing the statement, the Chinese Embassy said: “China unswervingly adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, respects Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and develops bilateral friendly relations on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.”

“If this is the case, questions arise as what compelled China to encroach upon Nepali land in Humla and construct a structure there?” asks political analyst and Prof. Vijay Kant Karna.

Prof. Karna labels the statement “bogus” and asks, “If the Chinese are really serious about bilateral relations and opening the border points in Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani, why do they (embassy officials) turn down the invitation of Nepal’s Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry for meetings?”

Questions further arise: Are the videos and the pictures showing dismantled border pillars, the building of a structure in Nepali land, and the report made public by the Nepali Congress central member Jeevan Bahadur Shahi all false and twisted?

To recall, Khabarhub has published a series of stories with video evidence of Chinese encroachment of Nepali land in the Humla district.

It should be noted that the on-site video of Khabarhub shows that China has encroached upon Nepal’s land in the Humla district.

Even lawmaker Rangamati Shahi of Humla has already drawn the government’s attention to the problems on the Nepal-China border and the issue of China building a new structure in Nepali land.

The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu still continues to claim that “China considers Nepal as an important partner of the Belt and Road Initiative, and does not attach any political conditions to its aid to Nepal.”

According to the Chinese Embassy, China and Nepal have resolved the boundary issue through friendly consultations as early as the 1960s, and there is no dispute at all.

But the team led by lawmaker and Nepali Congress (NC) central member Shahi has categorically stated in its report that China has encroached upon Nepal’s land in the district.

The statement has also raised the issue of opening one-way cargo transportation saying: “Chinese side opened one-way cargo transportation to Nepal by overcoming great difficulties and has continuously enhanced the ports’ cargo handling capacity, which played an important role in ensuring the supply of anti-pandemic and livelihood materials in Nepal.”

If this is the case, Khabarhub has already published a story, video with quotes and bytes of the truck drivers and Nepali businessmen on the basis of on-the-spot-reporting in Rasuwagadhi border point to show that the borders have been unofficially blocked.

The obstruction in Rasuwagadhi-Kerung and Tatopani border points is a blatant violation of China’s commitment to bringing them into operation as a major international border under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.

“If China has stopped Nepali goods in the border owing to the pandemic, why is Nepal getting uninterrupted goods from India,? queries Karna adding, “Is there no issue of the pandemic in India?”

It should be noted that the government led by the then Prime Minister KP Oli formed after the promulgation of the new Constitution in Nepal in 2015 has taken special initiatives to open the northern border, which, however, has not functioned smoothly.

A transit agreement, too, was signed between Nepal and China in 2016 to allow the import and export of goods from third countries through Chinese ports.

To recall, it was also announced during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019 that Nepal would be transformed from a landlocked to a “land-linked” country.

According to Prof Karna, Nepali businessmen had to incur a loss of Rs 1.2 million just for the sake of re-routing the goods from India because of the Chinese undeclared blockade.

However, all these have been limited to papers.

“The foreign authorities of the two countries maintain good communication on border-related affairs,” the statement issued by the Chinese Embassy adds.

If so, it’s been more than three years that Nepali traders have time and again complained that they have not been able to import goods from China due to obstruction by the Chinese side because of which they have suffered millions of rupees.

This clearly shows that the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu has been distorting the facts to deceive the Nepali people.

The statement goes on to add: “It is hoped the Nepali people not be misled by individual false reports. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided Nepal with a large number of medical materials, including vaccines and liquid oxygen, which has strongly helped Nepal withstand the impact of the pandemic.”

The fact cannot be denied that China has provided Nepal with a large amount of medical equipment and vaccines during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, the protests and demonstrations being organized in Kathmandu and elsewhere should not be overlooked and undermined saying that such protests would mislead the people.

As China continues to increase political, economic and cultural presence, including controversial approaches and pressure in Nepal – the latest being the statement — people have been demonstrating against China across the country.

To name a few, the Swantantra Nagarik Samaj (Independent Citizens Group) demonstrated in Kathmandu criticizing China for “interfering” in Nepal’s political as well as economic sectors and encroaching Nepal’s land in different northern districts, including Humla.

Demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as “Down with China government”, “stop Chinese intervention”, “stop border encroachment”, “ensure safe passage to Nepali students studying in China”, among others.

Ramu Lama, a participant in the demonstration, told Khabarhub that China was imposing an unannounced blockade on Rasuwa and Tatopani checkpoints and was playing foul to sour relations with friendly countries.

The statement further reads: “We look forward to working with the Nepali side to overcome the present difficulties and make efforts to restore the economy and normal personnel exchanges.”

Yes, China must work with the Nepali side to overcome the present difficulties by returning the encroached Nepali land and ensure opening the border points so that Nepali traders can import their goods without hassles.

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