Kathmandu/Beijing: As soon as the power changed in Nepal, China has started wooing the new Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Oli is considered a strong supporter of China. During his tenure, relations between India and Nepal became quite tense. As soon as the Oli government was formed in Kathmandu, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang expressed his desire to implement the consensus reached between the top leaders and the two countries earlier to cooperate under the ‘China-Nepal Belt and Road Cooperation’ and to promote cooperation in other areas to further bilateral relations.
It is believed that Oli will fully cooperate with China for this plan. In such a situation, it will be a cause of great tension for India. Strategically, the passing of China’s BRI through Nepal, India’s most special neighboring country, will prove to be a tension factor for New Delhi in terms of security. This will further strengthen China’s strategic hold and its plan to surround India.
China woos Nepal on the pretext of congratulations
In a message to Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Li congratulated him on behalf of the Chinese government and him. On this pretext, he expressed his desire to implement the consensus reached earlier between the top leaders and the two countries to cooperate under the China-Nepal Belt and Road Cooperation and to promote cooperation in other areas to advance bilateral relations. Nepal and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI). This is an ambitious initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Under this, both countries are expected to focus on connectivity, trade, development strategies and policy dialogue for cooperation in other areas including economy, environment, technology and culture.
Li said – Nepal-China will have a favorable strategic partnership
Chinese PM Li said that he always wants to see new progress in the Nepal-China favorable strategic partnership to achieve development and prosperity. He also said that the relationship between the two countries is based on peaceful coexistence, equality and the interests of all. According to local media reports, bilateral relations between Nepal and China were elevated to a strategic level during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal in 2019. The two countries agreed to transform Nepal-China relations from a “comprehensive cooperative partnership characterized by lasting friendship” to a “strategic partnership for development and prosperity”.
Oli sits at the helm of power by ousting Prachanda
According to sources in the Prime Minister’s Office in Kathmandu, on Tuesday, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, US Ambassador D R Thompson and Chinese Ambassador Chen Song separately met Prime Minister Oli at his office in Singha Durbar and congratulated and wished him. Oli, the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and considered a pro-China leader, was appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal on 14 July. He is now leading a new coalition government which faces the challenge of providing political stability in this Himalayan country. He replaced Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ who failed to secure the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives last week, following which a new government was formed.
