India - Nepal: The India, China Tango
Asia News Agency

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will be paying an official visit to China in the first week of December. If this visit materialises, Kamal Dev Bhattarai (Kathmandu-based journalist and writer) writes “it will mark a departure from the longstanding practice of new Nepali prime ministers choosing India as their first foreign destination, with a few exceptions for multilateral events.
“Advisors close to Oli have indicated he had hoped to uphold the tradition, but that New Delhi is yet to extend a formal invitation even four months after the formation of his government. The delay suggests a possible shift in India’s approach. Typically, Nepal’s prime ministers receive an invitation from New Delhi shortly after assuming office."
China, Nepal strategic partnership
Officials report that preparations are underway for the Beijing visit, with discussions on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) expected to top the agenda. Nepal has proposed four projects to China under the BRI framework, and both sides are reportedly working on an implementation plan that could be finalised during Oli’s visit.
The resumption of a joint military drill between Nepal and China, previously halted due to COVID-19, underscores the warming ties under Oli’s administration. During a recent UN General Assembly session in New York, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi assured Oli of China’s continued support for Nepal’s sovereignty and development path. This builds on the strategic agreements forged during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2019 visit to Nepal, when Oli was in power leading a communist government.
Although former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to Beijing last year ended without finalising key BRI agreements, China remains eager to advance these initiatives with Nepal under Oli’s administration.
Last year, then-Prime Minister Dahal visited Beijing but returned without signing any major agreements, including those related to the BRI. In recent years, it has become evident that China is pushing for a stronger, united communist government in Nepal.
India, Nepal relations has intensified
Simultaneously, notes Bhattarai “India and Nepal relations have intensified across multiple levels. In September, Oli met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking their first in-person meeting since Oli’s government took office in July.”
The two leaders reviewed the unique and close bilateral relationship between India and Nepal and expressed satisfaction with progress across areas such as development partnership, hydropower cooperation, people-to-people ties and advancements in physical, digital and energy connectivity.
There is now discussion around a potential visit by Modi to Nepal. The relationship between Oli and New Delhi, according to Bhattarai “must be viewed in light of several bilateral issues on which India has taken a firm stance. In 2016, during Oli’s earlier term as prime minister, the two countries established the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) to advise both governments on reviewing their bilateral ties, including the 1950 Treaty.”
The report submitted by the EPG in 2018 is gathering dust and Oli since becoming prime minister in July is continuously raising the EGP issue. Oli has repeatedly expressed optimism that the Indian prime minister will find time to receive the report. He has also revived the boundary dispute that arose between the two countries in 2019-20, an issue which Dahal’s previous government avoided, aiming to preserve the improving relationship between Nepal and India.
Oli’s government has yet to establish a clear foreign policy framework, including its stance toward India and China. From the outset, he has emphasised, seemingly with reference to India, his desire for cordial relations with neighbouring countries with the expectation of mutual respect.
Nepal’s foreign policy document
Last week, the coalition government released a joint commitment and policy pledge addressing foreign policy and international relations, though the document remains vague and lacks specifics.
The document outlined that bilateral issues with neighbouring and friendly countries will be addressed in a spirit of good neighbourliness and diplomatic engagement. Nepal was committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, the Panchsheel doctrine and the values of world peace, as well as maintaining a just, independent, neutral and non-aligned foreign policy, it said.
The document further said: ‘Nepal will focus on its development needs, and through economic diplomacy, it will seek to increase foreign assistance and develop strong economic partnerships with neighbouring and friendly nations, as well as multilateral development partners.’