As the Maoists step up their anti-India campaign — their latest target of attack being the Indian priests at Pashupatinath Temple yesterday despite a forewarning from the Indian Embassy — China is moving at a hectic pace to cash in on this sentiment and replicate arrangements similar to what exist between India and Nepal.

The latest move is to get Kathmandu to set up a joint working group on border management just like the one between India and Nepal. At a quiet meeting between Chinese and Nepalese security agencies in Lhasa between August 15 and 18, China pushed Nepal to accept this proposal.

It’s learnt that the Chinese side, which is keen to put in place some permanent institutional arrangement to prevent Tibetans from using Nepal as a staging point, zeroed in on the India model. While the Nepalese side made no firm commitment, there is a lot of pressure from China on the newly formed Madhav Kumar Nepal government.

However, it is believed that the new Nepal government has assured China through these channels that it will continue the policy of the Maoist leaders to not let Tibetans use Nepal for anti-China activities.

This is not the first evidence of China replicating India-like structures with Nepal. Just before the Army Chief controversy which eventually led to the exit of Prachanda from the Prime Minister’s chair, China passed on a draft of a friendship treaty. It may be noted that India has a friendship treaty with Nepal which the Maoists are keen to revise.

... contd.