Kathmandu, Oct 20 (IANS) Despite media reports about a new cold war growing between South Asian giants India and China over territory, Beijing says it is not at loggerheads with New Delhi but would seek better ties so that Asia can take the reins of world leadership from the US.
This is the message the dragon conveyed to Nepal’s Maoist party when its top leader and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda visited China, the formerly underground party said.

On Tuesday, a day after he returned to Kathmandu after an eight-day visit to China at the invitation of the Communist Party of China, Prachanda called a meeting of his party to inform officials about the trip.

Prachanda, who met Chinese President Hu Jintao, as well as other Chinese leaders, has been told by Beijing that it wants to foster good relations with India and other countries in the region.

So long, the US has been leading the world, Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma told the media after the briefing at the party office in Kathmandu ended.

“China feels now it is the turn of Asia to lead and for that, it wants good relations with all countries in the region.”

Prachanda also said China - which Oct 1 celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of its republic following a long and bloody revolution - had conveyed that now it wanted peace and economic development.

It was ready to support the peace process in Nepal and the promulgation of a new constitution as well as economic development, Prachanda said.

While describing his visit as being successful in strengthening ties between the CPC and the Maoists as well as China and Nepal, Prachanda also said it should not be of concern to India.

Last year, Prachanda’s decision to break away from tradition after becoming premier and visiting China before India had created diplomatic ripples in the region. This year, when his eight-month-old government fell after it unsuccessfully tried to sack the army chief, Prachanda blamed India for the debacle, saying New Delhi had become the Maoists’ enemy due to the Beijing visit.