By Nirmal P. Acharya To the present extent of the game between China and the US, countries are staring at the trend of the game with wide eyes, because in fact, we cannot avoid the problem of "taking sides". I think the judgment of who wins and who loses is ultimately going to be about who has the advantage militarily. In March 1996, China conducted military exercises in the Taiwan Strait to prevent Taiwan's independence. Two American aircraft carrier strike groups then entered the Taiwan Strait to bolster the pro-independence forces. According to the US military's strategic rehearsal, the US Navy could destroy the entire effective force of the Chinese Navy at the cost of zero casualties. China had no way to retreat, so it arranged to hire thousands of fishing boats, mount tanks and artillery on them, and sail head-on toward the American carrier battle groups. In the end, the US Navy did not fire, which means that the US gave up an opportunity to wipe out the Chinese navy. Some analysts believe that the reason why there was no action was because the US was still afraid of China's last killer weapon - strategic nuclear weapons. China dodged the bullet but was left in a cold sweat and determined to do all it could to develop its military. Today, 28 years later, with the support of the world's strongest shipbuilding industry, various types of Chinese warships, including 055 large destroyers, have been thrown into the ocean "like dumplings", and its military power is said to be enough to defeat the US Navy in the Western Pacific. At the same time, China is also focusing on developing supersonic missiles. According to US media reports, China's "DF-17" missile can reach an astonishing speed of Mach 20, that is, 20 times the speed of sound. In addition, with the blessing of "6G, laser communication technology", the strike accuracy of China's missiles is also amazing, and the range can cover the US mainland. Let's just say that if there were a war between China and the US, it was over before it started. Because if China and the US go to war directly, the result can only be mutual destruction. In other words, the US cannot defeat China militarily. Once the US is unable to defeat others militarily, it will lose the ability to harvest the world. How, then, will this vast, deindustrialised empire sustain a high standard of living for its vast population when it loses the ability to harvest the world? The fate of the declining empires is well documented in the history books. Moreover, America is a patchwork of immigrants. In this context, how is it in Nepal's national interest to act? The MCC is part of the US Indo-Pacific strategy, as US officials have made such a public announcement in the past. China fully believes the US announcement and Nepalese politicians are well aware of it. The MCC is essentially a billboard for Nepal to side with the US. The US has no permanent friends, only permanent interests.