EDITORIAL
During the arrival of the first chartered flight from Sichuan, China at the Pokhara Regional International Airport, Chinese ambassador Chen Song informed that the Airport is the first project under the Belt and Road connectivity. Earlier, the Charge d”Affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy had also expressed the same view during the inauguration of the Airport.
Since the envoy made such a remark, local media quoting government officials, are saying that the Pokhara Airport didn’t belong to the BRI project as the Airport construction agreement was signed before Nepal inked on the BRI, therefore, the project doesn’t include under the BRI.
Accordingly, inaugurating the Dragon Boat Race Festival in Pokhara, the Chinese envoy remarked that the cooperation is an example of the Global Cultural Initiative under the connectivity project.
Chinese officials believe that all the Chinese bilateral cooperation belongs to the BRI since it was unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Nepal has signed Millenium Challenge Corporation with the USA. Another proposal for State Partnership Programme (SPP) had also been processed, however, the agreement is yet to be inked.
Although Nepal has not signed the SPP, all kinds of military grants are included under the SPP. Whether it is MCC or SPP, both programmes are subsidiaries of the Asia-Pacific Partnership initiated by the USA for containing China.
The Russian Federation has also shown interest in supporting Nepal in 14 projects. The Russian government has urged the government for finalizing the projects for Russian support.
Currently, Nepal is passing through a crucial phase as global power centers are trying to bring Nepal into their fold in the global power tussle.
India, which believes to be the regional power in South Asia, is also putting pressure on Nepal for remaining under the Indian grouping. The Indian plan for bringing Nepal under its security umbrella is underway.
Unfortunately, the Nepali leaders have not done the necessary homework on Nepal’s role in the ongoing global power tussle.
Nepal’s fundamental foreign policy is based on a non-aligned policy based on Panchasheel and equidistance relations with all the friendly countries. Without any study, Nepal proposed for MCC grant support to the USA even bypassing the country’s Foreign Ministry. Furthermore, Nepal also wrote a letter for joining SPP. In such a manner, Nepal seems to be intended to become a member of the new NATO, which is not tolerable for China and also for India.
The country’s foreign relations experts believe that Nepal should not undermine the security interests of the two giant neighbours – India and China. If Nepal tries to hurt the security sensitivity of the two neighbouring countries, definitely, we will invite problems. When Nepal inked the MCC agreement, obviously, China will ask us to join the Global Security Initiative.
Moreover, when we are receiving American military grants under the SPP, it is not odd to receive Chinese support under the BRI. If we disagree with receiving support under a particular framework, the only way is to say no to such a grant or support from the concerned countries.
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