Professor WANG HONGWEI, a well known Chinese scholar, has specialized on Nepal. Seventy-two-years-old Chinese scholar, Professor Hongwei, who is currently affiliated with Beijing-based Institute of Asia Pacific Studies and Graduate, spoke to Nepalese journalist Sharad Adhikary in Beijing recently.

How do you see the ongoing political developments in Nepal?
Prof Wang :  Nepal has become a republic, which is a great achievement of Nepalese people. This will now lead to the prosperity and development. Feudal society now will be transformed into democratic ideals.
China has had a long and cordial relationship with Nepalese monarchy. With whom does China have such relation now?
Prof Wang :  For its own national security interest, China wants to have cordial and friendly relations with legitimate authority of each country. Under such a foreign policy, China had a kind of relation with Nepal's monarchy. Till two years ago, the king was the head of the state of Nepal and Nepalese people accepted him as their head of the state. It is a wrong perception that China had a special relationship with monarchy. Even in Republic Nepal, there will be a president as per the wish of people and our relations will be cordial and respectful with such head of the state. China will have equal relation with all political parties.

Don't you feel that China has lost a good friend when monarchy was abolished in Nepal?
Prof Wang :  Certainly, it is natural that there will be certain pain after losing a friend with whom we had worked for a long time. But, the abolition of monarchy was a natural incident.

What do you think are the reasons behind the abolition of monarchy in Nepal?
Prof Wang :  There are three reasons behind the abolition of monarchy in Nepal. First reason is the unpopularity of last Shah King Gyanendra. Common people believed that Gyanendra had a role in the Royal Palace massacre. There might or might not be his hand in the incident but suspicions among people regarding his role in the Royal massacre made him unpopular. Second reason is king Gyanendra snatched democracy and he did not initiate any work to provide relief to the people. Third reason was that he was a very greedy person as he increased his own budget several times. In such a situation, the anti-monarchy movement was intensified.

If that is so, why did China support the royal take over?
Prof Wang :  China always deals with the country rather than a particular individual. In the past, monarchy led Nepal and we dealt with that institution. After the fall of king's rule, our relations with government of Girija Prasad Koirala is also similar and even when Prachanda becomes prime minister, China shall deal with Nepal as a sovereign country.

If so, your government will support even the government formed after a possible military coup?
Prof Wang :  Will the people support it? To my understanding, Nepalese people will not support it. I don't see any possibility of military coup in Nepal and take over of power by military.
How possible is it to support Maoist authoritarian rule?
Prof Wang :  Do you think Nepali people want that kind of rule? I don't think Nepalese want that kind of rule. However, it is up to the people of Nepal to decide what kind of political system they want.

Have you played a role of a facilitator to establish relations between Maoist chairman Prachanda and China?
Prof Wang :  I have visited Nepal last time at an invitation of Maoist chairman Prachanda. I had discussion with him several times. I have been meeting Maoist leaders and chairman Prachanda as a professor. Before this no Chinese officials and intellectuals had made any contact with Maoists. However, I also met Maoists only after they joined the open politics.

Do you know about any program of Maoist leader Prachanda to visit China?
Prof Wang :  Probably, he will visit China after assuming the role of prime minister. We are ready to welcome him at any time. After his appointment as prime minister, he will likely pay his first visit to India. Only after this visit, he may pay his visit to China.

What kind of support will China give to the Maoist government?
Prof Wang :  Like it gave to the past governments, China will give similar support to Maoist government.

Since Nepal's Constituent Assembly is drafting a new constitution establishing a federal state, what kind of state do you suggest for Nepal?
Prof Wang :  Although Nepal is geographically a small country, it is a country with diverse linguistic and ethnic groups. The state should be built by accommodating all of them. If Nepal is divided into several federal states under the basis of ethnicity, the country will be further weakened. Instead of ethnicity, Nepal should be divided under the basis of geography. Only this kind of federal state will make Nepal as a strong and modern nation.

How has China been looking at the growing Indian role in Nepali politics?
Prof Wang : China is well aware that India wants to make Nepal as a second Bhutan or Sikkim. There is a possibility of Nepal heading towards Sikkimization. China should not allow such a situation to come to pass. China will always support Nepal remain a sovereign, independent and unified nation.

What kind of support?
Prof Wang : China always supports Nepal's sovereign rights, unity among political parties as well as unity among patriots. In my opinion, the time has not come yet to play any role for interference because the feeling of patriotism has not died yet in Nepal.