File photo of President of China Xi Jinping. (Associated Press)
Ahead of the SAARC summit in Nepal this week, China's official media today stirred up a debate about whether the country should elevate its role in the eight-member group from an observer to that of an active member to expand its influence in South Asia.
As the 18th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit gets underway in Kathmandu, debate over China's role has intensified, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
"Nepal's politicians and foreign affairs experts almost unanimously propose that China be given a more influential role to play in the SAARC. They even say it is an insult to keep restricting China to its observer status," the report said.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey was quoted as saying by the state media that Nepal will have no problem if all the SAARC countries agree to turn China into a member state.
Nevertheless, some politicians and experts argued it was not the right time to invite China as a member state in the SAARC.
Bhesh Bahadur Thapa, Nepal's foreign affairs expert and former foreign minister, said it would be premature. "Time (for inviting China as a member state) may come but it is too early to talk of this issue," the Xinhua report quoted him as saying.
The SAARC summit is due to be held in Nepal on November 26 and November 27. Representatives from the eight member countries, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, along with observers from nine other nations will take part in the meet.