Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, who has recently intensified political meetings with CPN leaders amidst internal dispute in the ruling party, has met CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday.
A Chinese Embassy source said Yanqi reached Dahal's residence in Khumaltar in the morning but Dahal's secretariat has yet to confirm the meeting. The duo discussed bilateral issues.
"We want to see a stable government and development in Nepal. The ambassador said that even during today's meeting," Embassy Spokesperson Zhang Si said.
Yanqi's political meetings at a time when the ruling party is mired in internal dispute has been criticized in some corners but Si called the meetings normal. "Ambassador of any country meeting leaders is normal political practice. We do not interfere in internal affairs of any country."
Yanqi had met senior leader of CPN Jhala Nath Khanal on Tuesday after meeting another senior leader and chief of the party's foreign department Madhav Kumar Nepal two days back.
The Chinese envoy had also met Nepal and CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on May 1 when CPN was similarly mired in internal dispute. She had met Prime Minister (PM) and CPN Chairman KP Sharma Oli a few days before May 1. Many believed that her meetings played a role in dousing the fire in the ruling party then.
Internal dynamics in the ruling party is again very fluid in recent times with Dahal, Nepal and Khanal again allying to oust Oli from Baluwatar.
The meeting of Chinese envoy at the time of escalating internal dispute in the ruling party is considered meaningful and many are comparing it with how the Indian Embassy in Nepal earlier used to openly interfere in Nepali politics.