Nepal foreign minister visits China after India trip as Beijing and New Delhi compete for influence in Kathmandu
Beijing- Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday during his first visit to China since his party’s election victory in March, coming shortly after a visit to neighbouring India, highlighting Kathmandu’s balancing act between the two regional powers.
According to Chinese foreign ministry statements cited in a Reuters report, Wang told Khanal that China places Nepal at the forefront of its “neighbourhood diplomacy” and reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The visit comes as China and India continue to compete for strategic influence in Nepal, a country of around 30 million people situated between Asia’s two largest economies, both of which have longstanding political and border tensions.
Analysts say Nepal’s shifting political leadership has created uncertainty for Beijing, particularly as infrastructure projects linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative have faced delays and financing disagreements in recent years.
During the talks, Wang reiterated China’s willingness to expand cooperation with Nepal in infrastructure development, including energy, transport and aviation projects, while emphasising continued engagement under the Belt and Road framework.
The report noted that Nepal has received substantial financial engagement from both China and India, with infrastructure investment and lending forming a key part of their respective regional diplomacy strategies.
China is also seeking to strengthen ties with Nepal at a time when it faces broader geopolitical competition in South Asia, while Nepal’s leadership has signalled an interest in maintaining balanced relations with both Beijing and New Delhi.
The meeting underscores Kathmandu’s effort to navigate competing regional interests while addressing domestic development priorities and political change following its recent election cycle.
