Few days after calling back its leaders who were in a middle of their visit to the US to attend a function at Boston, the UCPN (Maoist) has sent a high level team of senior party leaders to China on Wednesday.An 11-member Maoist team led by party vice-chairman Naryan Kazi Shrestha left for China today morning on the invitation of Communist Party of China (CPC). The Maoist team comprises party's international cell chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara including politburo members, central members and Maoist lawmakers.The Maoist leaders will first make a brief stop over in Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region and then head to Chinese capital Beijing where they are scheduled to meet top Chinese leaders.The main objective of the Maoist leaders visit to China is said to be "to further strengthen the relationship between the two Communist parties as well as the two countries", reports quoted senior Maoist leaders as saying. During their ten-day sojourn, the Nepali Maoist leaders are scheduled to hold interaction with the chief of international bureau of the Chinese government including top leaders of the CPC.Last Friday, the Maoist called had back its three leaders on a visit to the US after some international organisations protested granting of US visa to Maoist politburo leader Agni Sapkota citing latter's involvement in cases of human rights abuse.
The issue caused much annoyance to the Maoist party as they took the move as "a deliberate act to defame the party's honour and respect" and immediately called back the comrades - Maoist secretary CP Gajurel, standing committee member Top Bahadur Rayamaji and politburo member Pampha Bushal - who had already left for America.
nepalnews.com