The BRI mindblock

Beijing doesn’t trust Nepali state, not just because our leaders are closer to Delhi or Washington.

Lack of progress on the 10 projects Nepal had proposed to China under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) presents us with a curious paradox. Some reckon even though Kathmandu itself proposed these projects, it has of late been wary of increasing engagement with Beijing. India has never viewed the BRI kindly, of which it is not a signatory. The passage of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is often seen as the crown jewel of the BRI, through the disputed territory of Kashmir, is one reason for New Delhi’s suspicions. There are also projects being built under Nepal-China cooperation that India might think of as particularly problematic. One obvious candidate is the proposed Jilong-Kerung-Kathmandu cross-border railway, which, if built, could lead to a drastic decrease in India’s sway in Nepal. Then there are the less obvious ones like the industrial park in Damak, which is close to India’s ‘chicken neck’ corridor. At a time of India’s growing tensions with Bangladesh, the China-funded park has become a matter of heightened interest for India.