Naya Patrika: Why was the Chinese premier's visit postponed at the last minute?
Narayan Kaji Shrestha: We had never divulged the exact date of his visit. We were working at a diplomatic level to announce the final date. But the Chinese embassy has informed us that he would not be able to visit this time due to his busy schedule. A new date for his visit will be fixed soon.

But there are reports that the real reason was the government's inability to guarantee security?
Nepal is not the reason for this cancellation. We had made high-level security arrangements for the visit. Even the Chinese ambassador appreciated our preparation.

Will this affect Nepal- China relations?
It will not affect our longstanding relations. The Chinese delegation postponed the visit for internal reasons. So we believe bilateral relations between the two countries and Chinese assistance for Nepal's development will remain intact.

It is also said that the visit was postponed, because the tenure of this government is uncertain and that the Chinese side is angered by PM Bhattarai unilaterally announcing the date of the visit?
The Chinese government keeps out of domestic political developments in Nepal. So that cannot be the reason for the postponement. The PM had only mentioned a tentative date of the visit. The Chinese are keen to take Nepal- China relations to the next level.

The cancellation of the visit is also linked to possible demonstrations by Tibetan refugees.
It is not true that the visit was cancelled due to the activities of the Tibetan refugees. We have left no stones unturned to ensure that anti-Chinese activities do not take place on Nepali soil.