Nepal's foreign minister visits China after first calling on regional rival India

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met with China's top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday, marking his first visit to the superpower since his party's election victory in March. The meeting occurred just days after Khanal visited Beijing's regional rival, India.

Wang Yi emphasized China's commitment to Nepal, stating, "China has always placed Nepal at the forefront of its 'neighbourhood diplomacy,'" and pledged support for Nepal's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Analysts suggest Nepal's relationship with India provides it with some leverage over China, potentially placing Beijing in a position where it must actively demonstrate its value.

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China has always placed Nepal at the forefront of its 'neighbourhood diplomacy,' and will support Nepal in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Nepal's ties with China have faced challenges, particularly regarding the implementation of infrastructure projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative, largely due to financing disagreements. Wang reiterated China's commitment to Nepal's infrastructure development, mentioning cooperation in power generation, highways, ports, and aviation.

Eric Olander, co-founder of the China-Global South Project, commented that Beijing might have been surprised by the Nepalese election outcome. "Beijing doesn't like change that directly impacts them," Olander said. "Change that is potentially hostile or challenges their interest is what gets their attention." He speculated that the election result was unexpected and unwelcome for China.

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Beijing doesn't like change that directly impacts them. Change that is potentially hostile or challenges their interest is what gets their attention. My guess is they didn't see this coming in Nepal and they don't like it when popular movements overthrow incumbent governments.