KATHMANDU: Neighboring China has opened its mouth after the passage of the controversial US aid project MCC in the parliament of Nepal amid a long-running dispute.
After the MCC was passed, the United States immediately issued a statement welcoming it, and China also responded strongly. China, which has spoken twice before about the MCC, has reacted differently this time.
On the issue of MCC being passed by the Parliament of Nepal, China has said that it has paid attention to the explanatory declaration. Earlier in the day, China had warned the United States against launching a “threat diplomacy” in Nepal.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Wang Wanpin said that as a friendly neighbor and development partner, China would continue to support the Nepalese people in choosing the path of development.
On Sunday, the Nepali Parliament approved the MCC agreement and made public its explanatory manifesto. At the press conference, Wang said China has repeatedly stressed that international development cooperation must adhere to the principles of mutual respect and equal treatment, fully respect the sovereignty and the will of the people concerned and not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs.
This is the third response from China to the MCC’s relations with Beijing, and the first since the MCC was passed by Nepal’s parliament. The United States has welcomed the MCC’s approval.
