China Rejects Claims of Withholding Hydrological and Meteorological Data

Dragon Media Correspondent

The Chinese Embassy in Nepal has rejected allegations appearing in some Nepali media outlets and online platforms that China failed to provide hydrological and meteorological data transparently following the Bhote Koshi disaster.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, the embassy said that after the catastrophic landslide in the Kerung–Rasuwa border area on August 26, China made efforts to restore data transmission channels despite damaged monitoring stations, disrupted transportation and unstable communication signals in the affected watershed.

The embassy said China has been providing Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology with key hydrological and meteorological data from the affected watershed on a daily basis, while also sharing relevant hydrological information with other Nepali authorities in a timely manner.

It rejected allegations of a lack of transparency in China’s hydrological and meteorological data, saying such claims were inconsistent with the facts and could disrupt Nepal–China cooperation in disaster relief.

The embassy added that China has continued to support Nepal’s disaster response and decision-making in the spirit of humanitarian cooperation and would continue assisting Nepal in overcoming the difficulties caused by the disaster and in subsequent reconstruction efforts.