China takes an interest in Nepal

Mergers of minor communist parties with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have captured the attention of China. This raises some interesting questions. Does China see the new government in Nepal, one that has been critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, a possible ally? Is this a shift for China’s foreign policy that was once antagonistic to such a revolution?

According to Yahoo News:

Maoist juggernaut starts rolling in Nepal with communist merger
Tue, Jan 13 11:44 AM
Kathmandu, Jan 13 (IANS) Following the example of northern neighbour China's monolithic communist party, Nepal's ruling Maoist party has started the process of unification of left parties in the Himalayan republic with a formal merger with another formerly underground party………..

China, which has begun wooing the Maoist government in a bid to suppress anti-Beijing protests in the Himalayan republic by Tibetan dissenters, has been urging Nepal's communist parties to unite and form a single powerful left party.

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And from the Chinese View, an official news agency of that country:

CPN-M becomes 2nd largest party in Nepal
2007-09-24

KATHMANDU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) became the second largest party in Nepali Interim Parliament with 84 lawmakers after it's unification with the CPN-Marxist Leninist Maoist (CPN-MLM) on Monday.
Speaking at a function organized to announce the unification of the two parties on Monday, senior CPN-M leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai hinted at political polarization between the communists and the democratic groups in the Nepal's unfolding political scenario.
Bhattarai said the issue of monarchy that divided the political parties is no more the topic of debate. He stressed the need of one communist party in Nepal to fulfill the aspirations of the people's democracy in true sense and called on all communist groups to get into this bloc.