Liu Jianchao, the new head of the International Liaison Department of Communist Party of China, held talks with CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML chair KP Oli on Thursday and Friday.

Liu replaced Song Tao recently.

Song also maintained a close relationship with the Nepali communist leaders and used to hold frequent conversations with them.

Liu was formerly the chief spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the former director-general of its Information Department.

On June 23 and 24, Liu, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held video calls with Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and former prime minister Prachanda and Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) and former prime minister Oli, respectively, according to a Communist Party of China (CPC) statement.

The virtual talks take place at a time when some sections of both party leaders are engaged in attempts to form a left alliance or forge some kind of agreement for the upcoming federal and parliamentary elections.

Though there are attempts going on to hold talks between Oli and Dahal, there is no concrete progress yet, said party leaders.

His predecessor Song has also visited Kathmandu twice and maintained good contacts with the leaders of both communist party leaders.

During the height of controversy over the Millenium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact in February, Song had held several rounds of talks with Oli and Dahal.

A junior leader of the CPC liaison office also held talks with the CPN (Unified Socalist) chair Madhav Kumar Nepal and others.

The conversation took place just two days after the Nepal government decided not to move ahead with the United State’s State Partnership Program.

China, which was against the ratification of the MCC Compact, on Thursday said it commends Nepal’s decision not to move ahead with the SPP.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, said that as a friendly and close neighbour and strategic cooperative partner, China commends the Nepali government’s decision [not to move ahead with the SPP.]

Liu said that China and Nepal are friendly neighbours linked by mountains and rivers, as well as development partners with a shared future, the statement reads. It also recalls Chinese President and CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping’s “historic visit” to Nepal in October 2019.

“China-Nepal relations have been upgraded to a strategic partnership of friendship for generations, oriented towards development and prosperity, entering a new era of rapid development,” Liu said per the statement. “China is willing to work with Nepal to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen political mutual trust, actively promote major projects and practical cooperation in various fields under the framework of the Belt and Road, and push the friendship across the Himalayas to a new height.”

These are the first virtual talks between Nepali leaders and Liu after he assumed office in early June.

Confirming the talks, Ramesh Malla, personal assistant to Dahal said that the party chair congratulated Liu for his appointment as the new head of International Liaison Department.

“The Chinese side told the chairman that China supports Nepal’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence and is ready to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations. Dahal assured the CPC about Nepal’s unflinching commitment towards one-China policy. And the Chinese side also offered to take forward the relationship between the two parties in a strategic way,” said Malla.

Liu said that the CPC and the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN-UML have similar concepts and feelings, and are willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges, promote party to party cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns while playing a role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-Nepal relations, according to the statement.

“In the second half of this year, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held to draw a blueprint for China's development in the next stage, and it will certainly provide new impetus for the development of China-Nepal relations,” the statement added.

During the meeting, according to the statement, Dahal and Oli said that the friendship between Nepal and China is ever-lasting.

“The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and the Communist Party of Nepal-UML give top priority to relations with China and the Communist Party of China, and will never allow any force to use Nepalese territory to engage in anti-China activities,” the statement added.

After the meeting, the Chinese representatives also signed a memorandum of exchange and cooperation between the two parties and the CPC.

The major achievements and historical experience of the CPC’s century-long struggle have provided important inspiration and reference for the Nepalese political party, the statement reads.

Malla said that the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides was about exchange programmes of party leaders and cadres between the two parties including sharing experiences with each other which they are doing with several communist and non-communist parties.

The CPN (Maoist Center) and the Communist Party of Nepal-UML are willing to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party in areas such as the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, and promote the long-term and stable development of Nepal-China relations. We look forward to and wish the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a complete success, the statement added.