There seems to be some concern expressed over ‘China's new political doctrine’ entering Nepal (‘A blueprint for consolidating power: China exports Xi Jinping Thought to Nepal’, September 25). In this regard, Nepali Congress vice president Bimalendra Nidhi is reported to have expressed serious reservations.

But, given the fact that the most distinguishing character of Chinese communism is their zero-tolerance policy against corruption, it is quite understandable for the politicians and their cohorts in other parties to be seriously concerned. After all, there have been widely publicised cases of corrupt Chinese leaders either being summarily executed or imprisoned for life.

When nobody misuses public money and when there are incentives for good work, then it does not take long for the growth to pick up. But our politicians' have for long been preoccupied with their goal of amassing vast kickbacks from any deal. It is only to be hoped that the two-day ‘training session’ included some insights on how not to be corrupt. Since Nepali politicians make very poor learners—take a cue from the hopeless imitation of the Westminster model of democracy—it is clear that our Chinese neighbours would have to work on them a bit more persistently than in their own country.

Bihari Krishna Shrestha, via email