Delhi, Beijing on diplomatic outreach to Kathmandu
Amid boundary standoff between India and China, the two Asian giants seem to be busy placating the neighbours and Kathmandu is feeling the heat.
Ahead of the planned visit of Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India from August 23, China is sending its top official to Kathmandu to measure the pulse of the new government in Nepal, labelled as “close with India”.
Officials from India are also scheduled to visit Kathmandu, giving out a message that Delhi and Beijing are trying to assert their positions and extend their clout to the neighbouring Nepal, whose location is geo-politically sensitive, said a senior official.
Ahead of Chinese vice-premier Wang Yang’s proposed Nepal visit on August 14, India’s external affairs minister of India Sushma Swaraj is arriving Kathmandu on August 10 to participate in BIMSTEC ministerial meeting, according to the Nepal’s ministry of foreign affairs.
Exerting pressure on successive governments in Nepal, Beijing has been imposing its interest in Kathmandu, like the signing of the one-belt-one-road (OBOR) initiative, joint military drill and awarding of a 1,200 MW hydro electric project to one Chinese firm without competitive bidding among others.
Nepal needs to preserve its geography as fight among the big powers have proven “cruel” to the smaller nations, former foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey said. “Several nations have lost their identities when such war erupted,” he said.
Experts in Nepal suggested that tension between Nepal and China could pose a serious danger to the latter and called on the government to take appropriate measures to safeguard its national interest.
Indian and Chinese aggression is an old story in South Asia but amid renewed tension on the border, both the governments have started reaching out to the South Asian nations, including Nepal, to secure their interests.
After signing the OBOR with China, activities have increased in Kathmandu. A series of meetings and seminars have been held on how Nepal can take advantage from the situation. Nepal, however, is yet to make its position public on the current standoff between India and China in Sikkim, though they have been keenly following the issue.
Wang Yang, considered as Nepal hand at China’s CPC, is on a four-day official visit to Kathmandu from August 14. The agenda of the visit is said to be discussion on China’s OBOR and review of Chinese-funded projects in Nepal, including balancing ties with Nepal at a time when Nepal maintains neutral position on ongoing India- China face off.
PM Deuba will embark on a five-day visit to India from August 23 for formal announcement is yet to be made. The visit assumes political significance as the Madhesis are yet to agree on participating in third round of local polls slated for September 18 where as Nepal needs to conclude elections to the Federal and Provincial Parliament within January 21, 2018.
The worry of Beijing is loud and clear as it wants to safeguard its interest with Nepal that shares a long border with Tibet. “We do not know why he (Chinese vicepremier) is coming but the underline meaning is to tell Nepal to safeguard its interest in Nepal,” officials said.