China benefits from Nepal coup -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Big News Network.com Wednesday 2nd February, 2005 (UPI) China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday the move by Nepal's king to replace the government and put leaders under arrest was an internal affair. Kong Quan was quoted in state-run media saying, China respects the choice of Nepalese in developing their country and sincerely wishes the nation to realize social security, economic development and ethnic pacification. He did not mention that the crisis stemmed from the government's inability to deal with a peasant insurgency based on Maoist ideology. Nepal's King Gyanendra Tuesday announced the dissolution of the coalition government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and formed a new government under the titular chairmanship of the monarch. In a related development, government-controlled local radio reported early Wednesday that China's Foreign Ministry had expressed appreciation over Nepal closing the Dalai Lama's office and a Tibetan refugee center, both in the capital Katmandu. Kong said Nepal made the right decision in maintaining Chinese sovereignty, then reiterated his government's position, "The Dalai Lama is not a simple religious figure but a politician-in-exile engaging in separatist activities in China."