China and Nepal Create New Problem for India – Here’s What’s Happening

During his China visit, Oli will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and later hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. Additionally, Oli will also meet with Zhao Lezhi, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.

A New Problem for India

It is noteworthy that the visit of Nepal’s Prime Minister is taking place at a time when Nepal is debating whether to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Although Nepal has not yet clarified its stance, experts believe that Nepal may agree to join BRI, which could create bigger problems for India. This is because India is already opposing BRI in Pakistan as it passes through PoK, which is being referred to as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). If Nepal also joins BRI, it could provide easy access to China in India, posing a significant threat to India’s sovereignty.

Government Allies Not Convinced

However, it seems difficult for Nepal to take a decision on this issue as the Nepalese Congress and the CPN-UML government led by Prime Minister Oli have not been able to build trust on this matter. In such a situation, Nepal will have to first convince its leaders to agree to BRI.

What is BRI?

BRI, or the Belt and Road Initiative, is a global development strategy launched by China in 2013. It was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping. While China is rapidly moving forward with BRI in Pakistan, the progress is slow in Nepal. There are financial and geopolitical reasons behind this. Nepal is trying to balance its relations with India and China, but it considers BRI as a significant opportunity for its economic development.