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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s three-day Nepal visit (March 25-27) was focused more on safeguarding China’s larger geopolitical interests than on bilateral cooperation. The readouts issued by the Chinese side during his stay as well as subsequent Chinese media reports suggest the same.

Securing the support of the South Asian countries on China’s position on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, countering America’s influence in the Himalayan region and creating a favorable political environment in Kathmandu were his key agendas. In his meetings with Nepali leaders, Wang pushed for Nepal’s ‘independent foreign policy’ and urged the country to stay away from geopolitical games—thereby becoming ‘a shining example’ of China-South Asia cooperation.

Speaking with Chinese media outlets in Beijing on March 28, the senior Chinese diplomat said there has been a general consensus among relevant countries that Russia-Ukraine disputes should be settled peacefully through dialogue, and neither war nor sanctions are the solution.

The US too is seeking the support of South Asian countries for its Russia-targeted sanctions. In Beijing, Wang said his trip to South Asia came at a time when the spillover of the Ukraine crisis is spreading, and world peace and development are facing new challenges. “Asia refuses to become a chessboard in the game between major powers, and Asian countries are by no means pawns in the confrontation between major powers,” Wang said. 

Beijing is urging small South Asian countries not to be influenced by America on Ukraine. 

Says Amish Raj Mulmi, the author of All Roads Lead North: Nepal's Turn to China, after the onset of the Ukraine crisis, China has been trying to build a new pro-Beijing consensus in South Asia. 

China, through various channels, has already conveyed its reservations over Nepal’s decision to vote against the Russian invasion at the United Nations.

Even though there is no direct mention of America in Chinese official statements, growing American influence in Nepal figured high in talks at various levels between Wang and Nepali leaders.   

In his meeting with CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Wang said: “We should be vigilant against the resurgence of the Cold War mentality and chaos in the region and jointly safeguard the good situation of regional peace, stability and development.”

“It is necessary to maintain the hard-won peace, stability and development in the region, resist the temptation to introduce bloc confrontation and create turbulence and tension in Asia,” he added. 

According to Maoist leaders, Wang also reminded Dahal of American attempts to encircle China through its Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) and that Nepal risked becoming a pawn in a great-power confrontation. 

Chinese experts have also tried to explain Wang’s message to South Asian countries.  

In his March 27 Global Times article, Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, says the US has somewhat achieved its goal of turning some of China’s neighbors against it without investing too many resources. 

“This has encouraged Washington, making it believe it can contend with Beijing. Therefore, the US will mobilize more resources and be more active in an attempt to infiltrate what it sees as China's ‘sphere of influence’,” the article says.

In Kathmandu, Wang focused his message on mitigating growing American influence after the parliamentary endorsement of the MCC Nepal compact. Additionally, he sought strong commitment from the Nepali side on the “One China” policy. 

All top politicians, including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and President Bidya Devi Bhandari, tried to assure Wang that Nepal is committed to One-China, and will not allow anti-Chinese activities on its soil.

US-based foreign policy expert Sanjaya Upadhayay says Wang sought to impress upon Nepali leaders “the imperative of creating the necessary domestic conditions” that would discourage Nepal from becoming a geopolitical playground against China. 

He believes Wang was interested primarily in gauging Nepal’s continued commitment to its traditional foreign policy tenets amid shifting global geostrategic contours. 

“In particular, Beijing sought to determine whether Kathmandu was adjusting its outlook and—if so—whether it was doing so under unwarranted influence of third countries,” Upadhayay says. As the Nepali side stated its case, he adds, Beijing must have sought fresh assurances from Kathmandu on One-China and other specific issues of Chinese concern.

To achieve those objectives, Beijing wants a favorable internal political situation in Kathmandu. Over the past few months, the relationship between Nepali Congress-led government and Beijing has deteriorated considerably.

Beijing thinks Congress is pro-India and by extension pro-US. The ruling party, meanwhile, is suspicious of Beijing’s “proactive measures” to bring left forces together.

In his meetings with Nepali leaders, Wang conveyed that China was ready to work with all parties, irrespective of their agendas and persuasions. Unlike in the past, the Chinese side did not explicitly raise the issue of left alliance this time.  

Binoj Basnyat, strategic affairs analyst, suspects that with Nepal headed into elections, the Chinese are also concerned about the type of government that will be formed at the center and whether that government would favor them. “The political message of Wang’s visit is that unity among communist forces would be beneficial to Beijing. If that doesn’t happen, Beijing at least wants to create a favorable environment for it here.” 

Basnyat is of the view that China wants to limit the activities of international forces in Asia. 

Mulmi says Wang’s Nepal visit can be seen both as China attempting to build on its influence in smaller South Asian countries, as well as to negate its setback after the MCC compact ratification.

The visit clearly showed that Kathmandu risks becoming an epicenter of US-China rivalry in South Asia.In this fluid situation, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is traveling to India and senior American officials are soon visiting Kathmandu. Expect more turbulence in Nepal’s geopolitical weather-system. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka paid a courtesy call on President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the latter’s office in Colombo on Wednesday.

On the occasion, the President recalled the long-standing warm and cordial relations existing between Nepal and Sri Lanka and underscored the need to further strengthen economic ties for mutual benefit, read a statement issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Colombo.

Khadka commended the President and the Government of Sri Lanka for successfully hosting the Fifth BIMSTEC Summit and stressed the importance of promoting cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people contacts in the region.

Later today, the Foreign minister also held a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris at the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka.

The two ministers discussed the matters of mutual interests, including pandemic recovery, economic partnership, cultural contacts, and regional cooperation, the statement read.

Foreign Minister Khadka will leave Colombo for Kathmandu tomorrow morning.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba stressed the need to breathe new life into BIMSTEC by pooling the strengths of resources of its Member States.

Addressing virtually the Fifth Summit of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) held in hybrid mode in and from Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister stated that BIMSTEC must do its part to address the long term economic, social, and developmental consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that the region builds back better.

He further stated that our race to resilience must start with a green, flexible, and inclusive recovery plan. This means action on vaccines, investment in health systems, and expansion of social protection schemes together with structural reforms and quality investment in physical and human capital, he said, read a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the challenges facing the region and outlined the steps BIMSTEC Members States must take collectively on the sectors of cooperation such as trade, investment, energy, connectivity, climate change and people-to-people contacts.

Underlining that bold climate action was needed before the climate crisis passed the point of no return, he called for making the current crisis a gateway to a greener, safer, and more sustainable Bay of Bengal region, the statement read.

The Prime Minister dubbed Buddhism as a strong connecting thread in the region and called for an early operationalization of the Buddhist circuit connecting Lumbini, birthplace of Gautam Buddha. 

The Summit adopted the BIMSTEC Charter following a virtual signing ceremony. Prime Minister Deuba signed the Charter on behalf of Nepal.

The Summit also endorsed three new instruments.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka, who participated in the Summit in-person in Colombo, signed the ‘BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters’ and the ‘Memorandum of Association on the Establishment of Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo’ on behalf of the Government of Nepal. 

Similarly, Joint Secretary and Head of Regional Organization Division at the Ministry Ghanshyam Bhandari signed the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on the Mutual Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies/Training Institutions of BIMSTEC Member States’, the statement read.

The Nepali delegation led by the Prime Minister included Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka, Principal Personal Secretary to the Prime Minister Bhan Bahadur Deuba, Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal and Senior Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that connectivity plays a catalytic role in enhancing an effective regional process. We must enhance investment in transportation networks, energy, and power grid interconnections.

Addressing the Fifth BIMSTEC Summit, PM Deuba further added that for a vibrant, forward-looking, and integrated BIMSTEC region, we must promote Buddhism as a strong connecting thread. 

“We call for an early operationalization of the Buddhist circuit connecting Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha,” he said.