The longstanding interconnections among Nepal, Tibet, and India remain important in contemporary geopolitics. This article argues that British historical border management strategies are being mimicked in the Himalayas, where great powers continue to interfere to further their own strategic interests, and that existing border agreements—predicated on British precedents—are themselves unstable and driving conflict. Today, the...
During Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China last month, Nepal reached an agreement on the ‘BRI Framework’. This has now laid the groundwork for the BRI project to proceed. However, there is still a debate going on whether Nepal will take a loan or not. In this context, Professor Eunsong Hwang who is...
You can again spot them on the streets, mainly in Kathmandu and Pokhara—the Chinese tourists are back. After four years, Chinese arrivals in Nepal have crossed the six-digit mark, reaching 101,879 in 2024, a 67 percent year-on-year increase. With improved growth in Chinese arrivals, Nepal welcomed 1.14 million tourists last year, a bump of 13...
The year 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal. As friendly neighbors and strategic cooperative partners, China and Nepal have witnessed growing cooperation across a range of fields and deepening ties over the years. In December 2024, China and Nepal signed a framework agreement to promote Belt...
The death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is being mourned far from his home in the Himalayan country of Nepal. It has evoked memories of and gratitude for his role in the Nepali peace process, mainly in getting the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to move away from their decade-long guerilla warfare to participate...
Nepal and India enjoy deep cultural, historical, and geographical bonds that are also marked by a strong trade and commerce relationship. This partnership is crucial to the Nepalese economy though it is full of challenges that keep affecting the small-sized economy of Nepal more than that of India. Both nations, however, are set to address...
While much attention has been given to competition in the Indo-Pacific, the Himalayan landlocked countries of Nepal and Bhutan have been navigating their foreign policy and domestic priorities amid heightened global competition — especially between their regional neighbors India and China — while also pursuing critical economic and development needs. USIP’s Nilanthi Samaranayake, the Centre...
After a much discussed visit to China, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli presented a political report to the party’s central committee last week. The report repeated some of his entrenched views, redirecting sharp criticisms against the US and India. Oli has turned the current coalition into a paradox. The coalition partners embody a long-standing ideological...
Editor’s Note: Trade in the Himalayan region has seen robust growth in 2024, with Nepal’s trade with Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region skyrocketing by 75.8 percent year-on-year to 4.42 billion yuan ($606 million) in the first 11 months. China and Nepal signed a framework agreement to promote Belt and Road cooperation in early December. The...
The pilgrimage route to Kailash Mansarovar is once again in the news with the agreement reached between Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi towards opening the pilgrimage route to Kailash. This route was closed due to COVID 19, which continued even after its end due to the bloody fight...