China’s ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai on Friday called on CPN (Maoist-Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is all set to become the new Prime Minister next week.

During the meeting, Dahal promised to implement the agreements that the outgoing Prime Minister KP Oli had signed with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing early this year.

Oli’s resignation on Sunday had sparked speculation that the Nepal-China agreements – most importantly the Trade and Transit Treaty that is expected to reduce the landlocked Himalayan nation’s dependence on India — will remain unimplemented. Perceived to be backed by a New Delhi that wanted Oli’s ouster, Dahal has been trying hard to allay fears that the new government will not execute the Nepal-China deals.

Oli had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kathmandu, and the Nepali and Chinese forest ministries had begun preparations for the high-level visit later this year. The formation of the new ruling coalition between the Maoists and the NC, widely believed to have been engineered in New Delhi, has cast doubts over Xi’s visit. However, Dahal has claimed that ‘Beijing is happier with me than Oli’.

According to a CPN (Maoist-Centre) statement, during the meeting the Chinese envoy also pledged full support for the new government under Dahal’s leadership.