Nepal FM pitches country as India-China bridge
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- Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the country aims to transform from a landlocked nation into a 'vibrant, dynamic bridge' connecting India and China, speaking Friday at a two-day international conference titled 'China and South Asia in a Multipolar World'.
- Khanal framed Nepal's bilateral ties with both neighbors around 'sovereign equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit, and sensitivity to each other's legitimate interests and concerns,' underscoring the new government's commitment to balanced non-alignment.
- The conference was jointly organized by the Centre for South Asian Studies at China's Fudan University and the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement.
- Prime Minister Balendra Shah's new government has pursued a balanced foreign policy emphasizing economic diplomacy, investment, and connectivity with both India and China.
- Khanal called economic diplomacy 'one of the defining priorities' of Nepal's external engagement, aimed at improving lives through trade, investment, employment, tourism, technology, and innovation.
- Khanal's back-to-back visits to New Delhi and Beijing in June were seen as an early signal of Kathmandu's effort to maintain balanced ties with both immediate neighbors.
Why it matters: The conference where Khanal declared Nepal's bridge aspiration was co-organized by Fudan University's Centre for South Asian Studies — meaning Beijing's academic apparatus is hosting the stage on which Kathmandu defines its non-alignment. For India, the framing is reassurance that Kathmandu won't pivot; for China, it's institutional foothold in how South Asian connectivity is narratively constructed.
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