Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming held what officials described as “very candid but straightforward” talks with Home Minister Sudan Gurung on Monday, pressing him on a range of concerns related to Tibetan and Taiwanese activities in Nepal and seeking assurances that Kathmandu would not become a stage for foreign interests hostile to Beijing.

According to two officials present at the meeting, the Chinese ambassador raised issues including the registration status of Tibetan refugees in Nepal and flagged what he described as continued “separatist” activities by Tibetans on Nepali soil.

“He also drew Gurung’s attention to reports of Taiwan-related activity in Kathmandu, citing a cultural event in the capital last month where a Taiwanese flag was briefly displayed,” said one of the officials.

Both Nepali officials, one from the Home and the other from the Foreign Ministry, spoke to the Kathmandu Post on condition that they not be named so they could freely discuss the details of the meeting.

On March 28, during the 13th International Folk Festival organised by Everest Nepal Cultural Group — which included participants from eleven countries, including Taiwan, Germany, South Africa, and Estonia — a Taiwanese flag was waved before being removed following a protest.

Gurung, who has faced accusations of having supported Tibetan refugee youth during last year’s Gen Z protests — a charge he has denied on several occasions — was congratulated by the ambassador on his new role before the concerns were raised.

In October, over a post on Facebook, Gurung strongly objected to attempts to discredit his political campaign by linking it to the Free Tibet movement and foreign powers.

The ambassador’s most pointed warning concerned an upcoming event: the swearing-in of Penpa Tsering for a second five-year term as Sikyong, or president of the Central Tibetan Administration, scheduled for May 27 in Dharamshala, India. Tsering secured the position in February after winning more than 60 percent of the vote. Zhang cautioned Gurung against any government-level Nepali participation in the ceremony.

“They might invite the government of Nepal to the oath-taking ceremony, so I would like to draw your attention to this matter,” the ambassador said, according to one of the officials.

Home Ministry spokesperson Anand Kafle, who was also in the meeting, confirmed the substance of the discussion. “During the meeting, our home minister clearly stated that the Nepal government upholds the principle position on the Tibetan issue that it has been upholding for a long, and will not allow its land to be used against China,” Kafle said. “He also assured that the Nepal government is ready to contain such activities.”

Gurung, for his part, reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to the one-China principle and said Kathmandu’s positions on Tibet and Taiwan would remain unchanged. “We are determined and committed to the country’s sovereignty and territory and will not be the pawn of any foreign power,” he told the ambassador, according to officials.

The meeting reflects growing Chinese anxiety over Nepal’s diplomatic orientation following last year’s Gen-Z protests. After video clips of youths wearing jackets marked “TOB” went viral on social media, police arrested several individuals associated with the group. Although questions were raised over the citizenship status of one of those detained, the case remains sub judice.

The Chinese Embassy had previously expressed reservations over back-to-back visits to Kathmandu by some Rinpoches, including Jhonang Gyaltsab Rinpoche. The erstwhile Sushila Karki government had at one point moved to restrict such visits.

Officials say Beijing’s concern centres on a perceived pattern: the Dalai Lama and Penpa Tsering both congratulated the Karki government and Balendra Shah, separately, for holding elections successfully and being elected as the prime minister, and some Chinese strategic circles have interpreted consecutive changes in Kathmandu’s leadership as a potential westward tilt aimed at encircling China.

Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, former Nepali ambassador to China, said the Chinese were deeply concerned about the congratulatory message being delivered by the Tibetan leaders to our prime ministers. “The visit of the Dalai Lama’s representative and the respect given to them in Kathmandu has irked the Chinese. They see a pattern of anti-China activities in Nepal over the past couple of months,” said Shrestha.

Zhang also raised what he described as third-country security concerns in Nepal that could contribute to China’s encirclement, to which Gurung responded that Nepal would not allow its territory to be used against any neighbour. The Chinese envoy didn’t specify the country, leaving it vague.

The Post called the Chinese embassy multiple times on Tuesday afternoon for comment, but received no response.