Is it gift or Pandora's box? China on US grant aid to Nepal

China has again accused the US of employing coercive diplomacy against Nepal over the ongoing controversy on the "Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)-Nepal Compact" that awaits Parliamentary ratification by the Himalayan nation.

On Thursday, the scheduled Parliament meeting was postponed until Friday, as the government sought to ensure the required numbers to pass the MCC grant agreement in the House, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The deal, under which Nepal will get the USD 500 million grant from the US, was tabled in the House on Sunday, after it was registered in July 2019.

The 500 million US Dollars grant assistance to the Himalayan Nation has become a subject of protest as reports have claimed it to be a military pact.

Dozens of protestors were injured on Thursday in the clash near the Parliament with some reported to have sustained serious injuries.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed the earlier remarks made by the US State Department spokesperson that "Nepal's failure to ratify the MCC compact will affect bilateral ties."

In response to this statement, Chunying said, "The US Embassy in Nepal described the USD 500 million MCC grant as 'gift from the American people to Nepalis'. I wonder, since when does a gift come with the package of an ultimatum?"

"How can anyone accept such a gift? Is it a gift or Pandora's box? I'm afraid it will turn out like a Nepalese saying: It looks good, but you will find the meat difficult to chew," she further asked.

The Chinese spokesperson went on to add that "there should be no interference in any country's domestic affairs, no political strings attached, no coercive diplomacy, and certainly no infringement on other countries' sovereignty and interests for selfish gains."

(ANI)