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It is my great pleasure to come to Nepal, a flower-filled beautiful country, as the 22nd Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Nepal. I would like to express my heartfelt respect and sincere thanks to friends from all walks of life who have cared about and supported the development of China-Nepal relations for a long time. Linked by mountains and rivers, China and Nepal enjoy ever-lasting friendship. More than 1,600 years ago, Chinese eminent monk Faxian and Nepali eminent monk Buddhabhadra exchanged visits and cooperated in translating Buddhist classics echoed through ages. In Tang Dynasty, the eminent monk Xuanzang visited Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha Sakyamuni, and left precious written records. In Yuan Dynasty, the famous Nepali craftsman Arniko came to China, and built Miaoying Temple in Beijing. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955, China and Nepal have always been respecting, trusting and supporting each other. In the critical moments of responding to the 2015 Nepal earthquake and fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have lent mutual support to each other, setting an example of equal treatment, friendly cooperation, and mutual benefit between neighboring countries. In 2019, President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Nepal. The two heads of state agreed to build the Strategic Partnership of Cooperation Featuring Ever-lasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity. In recent years, under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, China-Nepal practical cooperation in various fields has been improved both in quality and efficiency, and the trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network has gradually taken shape. In October 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was successfully held in Beijing. The most important result of the meeting was the election of a new central leadership of the CPC Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core. China embarked on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Not long ago, Nepal successfully held federal and provincial elections, and formed new government. Changes of the world, of our times and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before. In the face of new situations, new opportunities and new challenges, China will, as always, firmly support Nepal in safeguarding state sovereignty and national dignity, exploring a development path suited its national conditions, and pursuing independent domestic and foreign policies. China is willing to work with Nepal to stay true to our original aspirations, inherit friendship, join forces to seek common development, and build a closer China-Nepal community with a shared future in the new era. As the new ambassador to Nepal, I am deeply aware of the glorious mission and great responsibility. I will follow the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Nepali leaders, stay devoted and dedicated to outline their freehand brushwork of bilateral relations into a meticulous painting. There is a Nepali saying “even a drop of water can fill a tank”. Chinese also say “the fire burns high when everybody adds wood". I stand ready to work closely with Nepali friends from all walks of life, gather wisdom and pool strength to bring more benefits to the two peoples, and jointly write a new chapter of the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. The speech provided by new Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song who arrived Kathmandu on Sunday to assume his post.

People in Nepal appear to have a high tolerance for the city’s chaotic streets, potholed roads, and power shortages. The country known as a tourist hub has seen an upsurge in the number of tourists, but the numbers have not helped the country cope with rising inflation, it appears. On the contrary, they appear to have impacted the livelihoods of local communities. At a time of national unrest and discontent, on Dec 26, Pushpa Kamal Dahal was sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister in Sheetal Niwas amid tumultuous political rivalry and skepticism, with the goals of reviving the economy and balancing international power-play. Despite his optimism, Dahal is sure to encounter more challenges than in his previous two terms in office, both inside and abroad. Dahal’s first objective will be to restore people’s trust in the government. To enhance the effectiveness of government operations, Dahal should be more aggressive in promoting a transparent government mechanism and undertaking wide-ranging accountability measures. Nepal’s GDP per capita has remained stagnant for years. The new government should invest more in infrastructure, create new jobs, channel additional industrial capital to boost tourism, and obtain different sources of income for the people, while also focusing on reducing the trade deficit, maintaining currency stability, adding liquidity to the market, and curbing inflation. Diplomatically, Dahal faces a more difficult situation, as China, although actively promoting the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance infrastructure investment and construction in Nepal in recent years, was totally frustrated with previous Prime Minister Deuba’s series of anti-China measures. The United States, which regards China as a rival, is trying to bind Nepal to its “Rebalancing Asia and the Pacific strategy” as part of its global stranglehold on China’s development, while India, which has a territorial dispute with China, wishes to intensify intervention in Nepal’s domestic politics due to its hegemony over Nepal’s energy and trade. Despite signing of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement between the former government and the United States, Dahal must ensure that its terms do not supersede Nepal’s laws, and that foreign staff executing the agreement do not have the same legal protection as diplomats do, to deter potential espionage. Moreover, notwithstanding the government’s final veto of the US’ State Partnership Program (SPP) project, Dahal must make it clear to every citizen that any type of foreign military presence does not serve Nepal’s best interests, and a free and independent neutral position would provide Nepal a stronger edge in the rivalry among superpowers. The road ahead is challenging in terms of bilateral relations, but there are some beams of hope too. One-way trade is now possible through the China-Nepal Hilsa/Purang port and two-way trade has just resumed through the Kyirong-Rasuwagadhi border after a three-year hiatus due to the epidemic. Gradual reopening of more Nepal-China links means more development opportunities for Nepal’s northern Himalayan region. What’s even more thrilling is that the Sino-Nepal cross-border railway connectivity project has seen new progress. On Dec 27, a group of six Chinese experts arrived in Kathmandu to initiate a survey for the development of the cross-border rail link. This railway line, once opened, will not only bring new opportunities for tourism but will also improve Nepal's export pattern and enhance Nepal's economic resilience. It is an important step in the construction of linkages that will help Nepal fulfill its long-cherished dream of transforming from a land-locked country to a land-linked country, ushering in a new era. In the long run, the railroad will also be connected to South Asia, considerably improving Nepal’s strategic position, and bringing greater opportunities for Nepal. Besides, the inauguration of Pokhara Regional International Airport, constructed with Chinese assistance, has opened new prospects for the country that is hugely dependent on tourism. Increased air connectivity resulting from this infrastructure will bring tangible benefits to the tourism industry and to the Nepali people. With effect from Jan 8, China will remove restrictions for international visitors wanting to enter the country and resume outbound travel of Chinese citizens. This will surely contribute to the Nepal Tourism Decade strategic action plan. Before the pandemic, tourists from China accounted for the largest number of tourists visiting Nepal from a single country. With a gradual easing of travel restrictions, Nepal can attract more Chinese tourists to give its economy a boost. The BRI cooperation projects should be pushed forward without delay. Both Nepal and China are aware of certain foreign geopolitical interests at play. The onus is on the new government to take the northern neighbor into confidence by keeping external interventions at bay. Incomplete China-Nepal projects should be expedited and issues requiring immediate attention sorted out promptly. Since Prachanda is not a new face in the leadership position, he should be aware of the sensitivities of an immediate neighbor and should not repeat some activities of the previous government that had upset China. Government engagements should be based on trust and friendship, not on political posturing. Beijing looks forward to deepening cooperation with the new government in Kathmandu, and expects a similar gesture from the new government. The author is a Chinese scholar with interest on Nepali affairs

More than a month after the elections for new members of the parliament and provincial assemblies, Pushpa Kamal Dahal has managed to form a coali- tion government. This is Dahal's third term as Nepal's prime minister. In the new parliament, he has the support of 169 members, including 78 from the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), 32 from his own CPN (Maoist Center), 20 from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, 14 from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, 12 from the Janata Samajbadi Party, six from the Janamat Party and four from the Nagarik Unmukti Party. Prachanda is also backed by independent lawmakers, Prabhu Sah, Kiran Kumar Sah and Amresh Kumar Singh. One of the major challenges confronting the new government under Dahal is to bring political stability in Nepal. In the November 2022 elections, the Maoist party contested as a part of the Nepali Congress (NC)-led coalition. However, after the announcement of electoral results, the Maoist party formed a coalition government with the opposition. Given the past political equations between Dahal and CPN-UML leader, KP Sharma Oli, a question on political stability hangs. On the policy front, the state of Nepal's economy is a matter of serious concern for the new government. Largely driven by high prices of food items and fuel, Nepal's inflation rate touched, as recorded by the country's central bank and reported in the media, 8.64 percent in September 2022. It was around 3.49 percent in 2021. The Inflation Expectations Survey for the first quarter of 2022- 23, published by Nepal Rastra Bank, reported that the inflation is expected to hit 12 per cent within a year. Another tension is growing unemployment which, along with inflation, is forcing many young Nepalis to seek jobs in other countries. According to the Department of Foreign Employment record mentioned in a media report, in the FY 2021-22, an average of 1,745 people left Nepal every day to seek employment abroad. This number is likely to increase to 2,546 persons leaving Nepal each day in the current fiscal year. A challenging geostrategic terrain Lying between India and China, Nepal has always faced challenges to balance its relationships with the two Asian powers. On the basis of their political ideology, Nepal's leadership has been always tagged by many outside and Nepali observers as either "pro-India" or "pro-China". However, there is no drastic difference between the NC and communist parties on core foreign policy matters For instance, in its election manifesto, the NC stated that it will adopt diplomatic means to resolve boundary issues with India and maintain good relations with both New Delhi and Beijing. During the election campaign, Oli posited that if voted to power, he will balance the country's ties with both countries for mutual benefit. Besides India and China, the United States (US) has emerged as an important actor in Nepal's domestic politics and foreign affairs. The Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact and the State Partnership Program (SPP) have brought Kathmandu very close to Washington. After a long debate, Nepal's parliament ratified the MCC in early 2022. On the contrary, under pressure from the opposition and some members of his own party, Sher Bahadur Deuba- led government terminated Nepal's partnership with the SPP in 2022. Inclement climes Nepal is a "climate risk" country. According to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank's publication on Climate Risk Country Profile, by 2030, around 199,000 Nepalis may be affected by floods. At that time, the annual impact of floods on the country's gross domestic product may be around $574 million. Climate change and its impacts will severely affect the poor, those living in the remote regions of the country and people engaged in subsistence agriculture. Nevertheless, the Nepali government has hardly restrained itself from taking decisions on projects involving serious damage to forest areas. A recent example is the government's decision to build an airport at Nijgadh, 175 kilometers south of Kathmandu. Paradoxically, the NC-led government demonstrated its concerns about environmental issues and signed a "concessional financing agreement" worth $100m with the World Bank to support "Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development" in August 2022. This agreement has been opposed by many Nepali activists who argue that the country should receive climate finance instead of loans, given its minimum contribution to global emission. To conclude, the fate and tenure of the Dahal-led government highly depends on how deftly he manages to keep his coalition partners together, especially the CPN-UML. Dahal and Oli have enjoyed sweet and bitter relations in the past. On the domestic policy front, rising rates of inflation and unemployment demand that the government take effective steps. On foreign policy, Prachanda is likely to be tagged as a "pro-China” leader, but, as a tested and experienced leader, he knows how to pursue his country's interests by keeping it away from India-China or US-China tensions. Finally, the growing economic impact of climate change and environmental deterioration need some serious attention from the government. The author is a Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore (NUS) Acknowledgement: This is a summary of a recent Insights paper published by ISAS-NUS

A friend tells us that a project they had been working on for months got rejected. What is the first thing we are most likely to tell him? We might ask him not to worry, to keep calm, to trust that what he is going through is just a phase. We could also tell him that we have been through something much more difficult. While there is no harm in comforting our loved ones, given that we intend to help, we often say things to console them, assuming they want reassurance or help from us. What if they only want us to hear them out? What if they need help with expressing and understanding their feelings and needs? We seldom think about these aspects because we are too intent on assuming things and reassuring them that it will be okay. What prevents us from hearing what the other person wants to say? We don’t listen intentionally. Even if we do, we quickly shift the conversation toward how we can help. This tendency often stems from the idea that we have to fix situations and offer solutions, which sap us of the space to be present for others and connect with them. We can only understand what someone is going through when we listen to them and empathize. Holley Humphrey, a trainer for empathic communication, recognized some common behaviors that prevent us from connecting with others in an empathetic way. Advising: “I think you should do this.” “How come you did not do so?” One-upping: “That is nothing; wait till you hear what happened to me.” Educating: “What you are going through can be positive if you did so and so.” Consoling: “It’s not your fault; you did the best you could.” Storytelling: “That reminds me of the time...” Shutting down: “Cheer up. Don’t feel so bad.” Sympathizing: “Oh, you poor thing.” Interrogating: “When did this begin?” Explaining: “I would have called, but...” Correcting: “That is not how it happened.” How can we be more empathetic? Empathy is a skill that can help us understand what people around us might be feeling and needing. While we can sense what someone around us is going through in a particular situation, our empathic guesses might not always be correct. Conversations can allow us the space to get to the root of what someone might be going through. One actionable concept that can help us have such discussions and make empathizing with others easy and more insightful is the Empathy Archery developed by Seed of Peace. The Empathy Archery consists of five rings. The outermost ring indicates listening in silence. The deeper we go, it includes aspects such as summarizing, sensing what’s important, sensing feelings, and sensing needs. We can understand each ring with the example of the friend whose supervisor declined his project. Listening in silence: This is the process of empathizing with someone through our presence. So, we don’t have to say anything to our friend here. We only intend to give him our attention, be there for him, and understand what he is going through. Summarizing: After listening in silence and taking time to process what our friend tells us, we can summarize in one or two phrases what we heard him say and check in with him if we understood it as intended. Here’s an example. “I hear you say that the project you worked on for three months got rejected. Is that what you mean?” If our friend thinks our summary is inadequate, we can ask him to clarify further. If he agrees, we can then move to the next ring. Sensing what’s important: It’s important to sense what’s important for our friend in this situation. We can ask him questions like: “Is it important to you that your project gets reconsidered?” “Would you like to talk to your supervisor to find a way out?” “What would help or comfort you?” His responses will allow us to understand what matters to him. Sensing feelings: Then, we need to be in tune with what the friend might be experiencing. We can ask him if he is sad, frustrated, angry, disappointed, scared, or feeling something else. (To help our friend understand his feelings, we need to have a basic vocabulary of pleasant and unpleasant emotions and their messages to us. Anger indicates that we have a problem to fight through. Disgust tells us that we are trying to reject something we consider unhealthy. For this reason, words like good, bad, and fine are inappropriate terms to label feelings.) Sensing needs: What does the friend need to resolve his feelings? For example, if our friend is angry, we can ask, “Are you angry because changing the project or starting everything from scratch will be a problem for you?” Similarly, if our friend is sad, we can ask, “Are you sad because the news came to you suddenly, and you would have liked to hear from your supervisor in a more acknowledging way?” Empathy Archery is counterintuitive to how we usually approach people when it comes to empathizing with them (advising, consoling, dismissing feelings, encouraging them to feel pleasant, etc.). It helps us comprehend people’s situations, understand what matters to them, and sense their feelings and underlying needs. It helps us ‘connect’ with people instead of/before finding ways to ‘correct’ them or their situation—which is what we need to exercise empathy and build meaningful connections. The author is the linchpin at My Emotions Matter, an education initiative that helps individuals and teams learn the mindset and skills of Emotional Intelligence. You can learn more at myemotionsmatter.com