Row over Prachanda's visit to China

Kathmandu, Aug 24 (PTI) Maoist leader Prachanda's first foreign trip as Prime Minster to Beijing has sparked a row in Nepal, with the opposition Nepali Congress questioning his visit to China ahead of India, which had "invited him first".

Prachanda's five-day official visit to Beijing is in a sharp departure from tradition where India has been the first port of call for most previous Nepalese prime ministers.

Nepali Congress general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi criticised the newly-elected Prime Minister for visiting China to attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics at a time when thousands of people have been rendered homeless due to widespread floods in Nepal.

Speaking at a function in the capital yesterday, he said the Prime Minister should have spent 4-5 days to comfort the flood victims, who are not getting adequate relief materials, instead of visiting China to watch the closing ceremony of the Olympic.

Nidhi also stressed that it was India, which invited him first for the visit, but Prachanda went to China without accepting or rejecting the Indian invitation.

Prachandas predecessor G.P. Koirala had made New Delhi his first port of call abroad after assuming the reins of government.

Rejecting the allegation, Maoist Minister for Law and Justice Dev Gurung said Prachanda's visit to China cannot be regarded as directed against India.

He said the Maoist-led government has vowed to follow the policy of "equidistance" between India and China.

The former insurgents have earlier accused India of trying to prevent the Maoists from forming the government in Nepal, and hinting that New Delhi favoured his predecessor Koirala's Nepali Congress party.

China accords red carpet welcome to Prachanda on maiden visit - Beijing, Aug 24 (PTI) China today offered to provide "every possible help" to Nepal for its stability and development as Beijing accorded a red carpet welcome to Prime Minister Prachanda who described the communist giant as a "reliable" friend on his maiden foreign visit.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao met separately with Pushpa Kamal Dahal or "Prachanda" and promised reciprocal cooperation in various fields between the two neighbouring nations.

China and Nepal are "good neighbours, good friends and good partners" Hu said, noting that "the two countries have established a good neighbourly partnership and enjoyed friendship generation upon generation." "Mr Prime Minister has come to the Beijing Olympics' closing ceremony within a week after being sworn in," Hu said, referring to Prachanda's election as Prime Minister on August 18.

"This fully demonstrates the great attention Nepal attaches to relations with China and its profound friendship with the Chinese people. We highly appreciate that," Hu told Prachanda, the head of the Maoists, who has departed from tradition where India has been the first port of call for most previous top Nepalese leaders.

The Chinese government respects the social system and path of development chosen independently by the Nepalese and supports their efforts in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, Hu said.

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