Between Delhi and Beijing, Nepal forgets Kathmandu

A state that struggles to govern effectively at home will also struggle to negotiate and deliver abroad.

Every few years, Nepal rediscovers its neighbourhood. A new government promises a reset with India, a fresh understanding with China and a development-driven foreign policy. Yet, the debate always ends where it began. Nepal’s greatest foreign policy problem is not Delhi or Beijing. It is the weakness of the Nepali state. The real divide is no longer between India and China but between ambition and implementation.