CHINESE AMBASSADOR CLAIMS NO INFLUENCE WITH NEPALI

S E C R E T KATHMANDU 001398 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS EMBASSY MANILA PLEASE PASS TO PSPELTZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER EAID CH NP SUBJECT: CHINESE AMBASSADOR CLAIMS NO INFLUENCE WITH NEPALI MAOISTS Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b,d). China Supports Government and Peace Talks -------------- ¶1. (C) The Ambassador met with his Chinese counterpart Sun Heping on June 1 to encourage China to provide increased assistance to Nepal to support the current government. Sun agreed that it was important to support the current government, and said that China was trying to find funding for additional project assistance for Nepal. However, he cautioned that additional support might be minimal and take time. ¶2. (C) Sun said China wanted the peace talks between the government and the Maoists to succeed, and asked why India was reluctant to have a "witness" in the peace talks. The Ambassador replied that India worried a third party involved in talks could not fully understand its concerns and interests. Sun indicated that China would not oppose an expanded United Nations role in Nepal. China Claims No Influence with Maoists -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador stressed that it was important that the international community put pressure on the Maoists to come into the mainstream. Sun replied that China had a policy of non-interference in other country's internal affairs and so did not publicly criticize unless there was a clear reason. He also explained that he did not want the Maoists to target Chinese interests in Nepal. The Ambassador suggested that China could informally urge the Maoists to make the peace talks successful. Sun emphasized that China had "no direct contact" with the Maoists and no way to contact Maoists indirectly, either. "We do not use third-party conduits," he explained. Sun stated that China might consider publicly condemning the Maoists if they reverted to "obvious acts of terror." Comment -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) Reporting in other channels suggests that the PRC might have more contact with the Maoists than Sun indicated. That said, we are confident that the Chinese Ambassador will pass the message to Beijing about the need to provide concrete support to the new government of Nepal. More importantly, we similarly hope that Beijing will understand the point that in any future contacts with the Maoists, China should urge them to come into the mainstream. MORIARTY