Nepal, China security pact in offing, to irk India

Nepal and China will soon ink a bilateral military exchange mechanism on the lines of the India-Nepal security exchange framework, agencies have warned Delhi.

 The decision is to be taken by the Himalayan country when India and China are engaged in a border spat in eastern Ladakh.

 Indo-Nepal ties have been sliding recently, challenging the traditional relationship between the two countries. An intelligence source said that Nepal is planning to set up a mechanism — NepalChina Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (BCGSI) — for military exchange programme between Nepal Army and People’s Liberation Army. “It is similar to Indo-Nepal bilateral consultative group on security issues,” said the source. Currently, China is assisting Nepal in military training, equipment and peacekeeping operations. Further, for China’s PLA to conduct jungle warfare and high altitude warfare training, Nepal is one of the preferred destinations. Nepal and China’s military cooperation started from 1988 and has been ever growing. 

China has been investing heavily in Nepal in recent years, rapidly increasing infrastructure connectivity with rail and road links. Also, policymakers of Nepal had undergone a 13-day training programme of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in Beijing after China “especially invited” them to attend it.