Nepal China Think Tank conference recently in Kathmandu and the statements I heard from Chinese thinkers, professors and intellectuals startled me. They clearly said that China would no longer be the 'outsider' and 'passive neighbour' for Nepal.The northern neighbour raised the issue of the 2015 blockade and the unfair treatment by India towards Nepal. The crowd applauded the speakers. The Chinese representatives stressed on the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and how it would help Nepal. Their only agenda for Nepal is two-fold: a) Nepal should always uphold One-China policy (which means it should not let Tibetan activists take a foothold in Nepal) and b) Nepal should consider the fact that China pushes for economic share (which means it wants to see Nepal develop and gradually challenge India).
On the other hand, India has always hidden behind the agendas and policies of making Nepal dependent on it. These two different approaches have signaled a debate in the Nepali press. What should be the priority of Nepal's foreign policy? How should Nepal deal with this geopolitical quandary?
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