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KATHMANDU, Feb 6: The visit of a senior Tibetan Buddhist leader to Kathmandu has drawn sharp political reactions and renewed concern about Nepal’s relations with China. Leaders from major communist parties say the episode goes beyond religion and risks pulling Nepal into a sensitive geopolitical situation.

The controversy surrounds Kyabje Jonang Gyaltsab Rinpoche, who arrived in Kathmandu on January 29 to lead a series of Buddhist discourses. While the visit was presented as religious, its political reading stems from the Rinpoche’s close association with the Dalai Lama, a figure Beijing views with deep suspicion.

CPN UML Vice Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa said Chinese commentators have already reacted. Speaking to journalists, he claimed a Chinese intellectual published a warning aimed at Nepal in a Chinese media outlet, signaling Beijing’s displeasure. Thapa alleged that the Rinpoche was received with arrangements similar to official protocol, including an escort from Tribhuvan International Airport, and accused the government of allowing actions China considers hostile.

Thapa also linked the visit to wider regional interpretations of Nepal’s recent political shifts. He said both Indian and Chinese analysts see the fall of the previous elected government and the rise of the current administration as externally influenced. According to him, Chinese voices view recent youth-led movements not as democratic change but as a reversal of constitutional order.

More pointedly, Thapa claimed China has conveyed a blunt message through informal channels. He said Beijing expects Nepal to curb what it sees as pro-Tibetan activities, expel those involved, and issue an apology, or be prepared for consequences. He quoted Chinese authorities as saying there was no middle option.

The government has stayed silent. The Ministry of Home Affairs said it has no information about the visit. Home Ministry spokesperson Anand Kafle said the ministry was unaware of the issue. Nepal Police spokesperson DIG Abi Narayan Kafle also said police had no details about the Rinpoche’s arrival. These statements sit uneasily with claims from political leaders and other sources that government officials were present during the reception.

The Rinpoche is currently staying in Boudha and leading a 10-day religious programme that began on February 1. He traveled to Kathmandu from New Delhi and was invited by the Dolpo Society, a non-governmental organisation based in Kathmandu. The programme is being held in Boudha, a key center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal.

Former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal has also raised concern, reading the visit as politically sensitive given Nepal’s position between major powers. Suspicion has been heightened by earlier debate over Tibetan links to youth movements and by the Dalai Lama’s public congratulations to the current prime minister, something he had avoided with previous leaders.

The Dolpo Society has defended the visit, saying it reflects long-standing spiritual ties between Dolpo and the Jonang tradition. Still, the episode shows how religious events in Nepal can quickly turn into diplomatic flashpoints when they intersect with China’s core concerns.

People’s News Monitoring Service