'Nepal-China relation crucial for South Asia'

 Kathmandu, June 12

Prof. Jaya Raj Acharya, former Ambassador of Nepal to the United Nations, said that friendship of Nepal and China is crucial not only for Nepal but also for the South Asian region.

"This friendship was shaped by King Mahendra and Prof. Yadu Nath Khanal, Nepal's ambassador to China then," he said while speaking at the fourth Prof. Yadu Nath Khanal lecture series on 'Nepal-China relations in the context of South Asia: Opportunities, challenges and the road ahead' organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in the capital on Thursday.

Delivering his keynote speech, Prof. Acharya, who is also the biographer of Prof. Khanal, said that Nepal's geographical situation has always been a complex and critical in terms of creating a balance with China and India. The recent evidence of this complexity is Pokhara International Airport which was constructed with Chinese assistance and India has shown no mood to support in operating the aviation infrastructure in the tourist hub of the country.

Amidst the Sino-Indian rivalry, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)'s project in Nepal has become a new issue of contention. The infrastructure development project had divided the entire country.

Likewise, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) created more ripples in Nepal's relations with India. There is a need on the part of Nepali diplomats and government to clear the fog of misunderstanding in Nepal-China relations.

"Nepal signed on the BRI, India responded with strategic discomfort, interpreting it as a potential threat to its sphere of influence which should necessary be the case," said Prof. Acharya.

To balance among these powers, Nepal must maintain a proper balance in its diplomatic relations, assert its sovereignty, and enhance transparency in all foreign engagement as was evidenced by the diplomatic dealing of Prof. Khanal, he suggested.

"We must understand that China will not sacrifice its regional relations in South Asia for the sake of Nepal. China's trade with India is more than 60 times bigger than that of Nepal. We must keep this fact in mind," he said.

He suggested Nepal can benefit from China's rise and India's 'Neighbourhood first' policy.

Speaking on the same occasion, another keynote speaker, Dr. Yang Chenxi, Director of China International Strategic Studies, stressed promoting global governance that includes consultation and cooperation for shared benefits.

"Promoting democracy in international relations is important," he said.

Dr. Chenxi said that the rapid development in the information and communication technology, especially in the Artificial Intelligence has posed new types of challenges.

According to him, goal of China's neighbouring policy in the new era is building a peaceful and secure community for distant future. Strategic support to neighbourhood countries has become a feature of China's foreign affairs.

Likesie, Dr. Chenxi said that China-Nepal's 'railway-highway-airport' trinity cooperation is transforming Nepal from a 'landlocked' to a land-linked nation, forging a trans-himalayan connectivity network that benefits both countries and the region.

 

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, said that Nepal China relations remain time-tested bilateral partnership for shared aspirations for development and prosperity.

The signing of the BRI framework has opened new avenues of practical cooperation, she said while stressing enhanced trade, particularly Nepali export, between the two countries. According to her, Nepal hopes Chinese cooperation in technology, new energy, development and other priority areas of the former.

The lecture series was launched in 2022 in an honour of Prof. Khanal who is considered an architect of Nepal's foreign policy. His diplomatic journey began in 1955 with Nepal's historic participation in Bangdung Conference.

He served as the foreign secretary, and ambassador of Nepal to India and the United States and China, and played significant role in strengthening bilateral relations during the initial phase of Nepal's foray into foreign relations.

"His contributions played a pivotal role in shaping the country's foreign policy and diplomatic practice. He left an enduring message that Nepal should be consistent and proactive in its management of foreign affairs," said acting Foreign Secretary, Krishna Prasad Dhakal. The series is organised annually and features experts in various dimensions of foreign affairs.

Dhakal said that the theme of lecture for this year was chosen as Nepal and China are celebrating the 70^th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 13 June 2025.