Nepal PM to support new Silk Road during China visit | Reuters

[tw00tw00]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-china-idUSKBN16U21V

Nepal PM to support new Silk Road during China visit | Reuters

By Gopal Sharma | KATHMANDU

Nepal's prime minister is set to throw his support behind Beijing's initiative to build a modern-day Silk Road across Asia during a six day trip to China starting on Thursday, in a move that could upset traditional regional powerhouse India.

Beijing is jostling to increase its influence in Nepal, which serves as a natural buffer between China and India.

China, which has invested in hospitals, roads, hydropower projects and airports in Nepal, is keen to include it in President Xi Jinping's flagship "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) initiative to link Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Prime Minister Prachanda, a former chief Maoist rebel commander, will discuss energy cooperation, investment and the OBOR program with the Chinese leader, Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said.

“We’ll express our commitment to join the OBOR initiative,” Rishi Adhikari, an aide to Prachanda, told Reuters. The leader is on his first visit to China since his election in August.

India, which has a festering border dispute with China, has looked at the latter's ambitions in South Asia including Nepal with concern.

India is still the landlocked Himalayan nation's biggest trading partner, donor and supplier of essential goods, as well as the only source of fuel for the impoverished country.

In October, Xi avoided Nepal during a South Asian tour amid Nepali media reports that Prachanda’s government was growing closer to India and going slow on the China deals made by his communist predecessor last year.

Kunda Dixit, editor of Nepali Times, said China had advised Nepali leaders not to try to play Beijing against New Delhi.

“So Prachanda will have to tread carefully not to ruffle feathers in Delhi and to make Beijing too anxious,” Dixit told Reuters.

Visiting Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan, in a meeting with Nepali counterpart Bal Krishna Khand on Thursday, said China would continue to support the Nepal Army in disaster management, U.N. peace keeping operations and development work, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Alison Williams)

 

[Vengeful One]

Chinese State media admitted that current Nepal PM is pro India and there is little of substance in Nepal China deals and many Chinese projects in Nepal are blocked.
So this deal will be another one with Zero substance.:

Even if Prachanda would ink some vital deals with Beijing, they will most likely face the same fate of those signed during Oli's China visit - being suspended by Deuba.

However, since assuming office for the second time as prime minister on August 3, 2016, he has visited India twice and warmly welcomed Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee in Kathmandu last November.

Given Prachanda's pro-India foreign policy, the Sino-Nepalese relationship has fallen into low ebb. On Thursday, Prachanda will embark on a visit to China to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017.

It is widely believed in Nepal that Prachanda has toppled the pro-China government led by Oli under New Delhi's manipulation and paved the way for the Nepali Congress to build a pro-India government in the future. Prachanda and Deuba both vowed that they would carry out the deals signed with Beijing during Oli's China visit last March, but actions speak louder than words. Until today, no substantial progress has yet been made.

Prachanda will transfer his power to Deuba soon after May 14, when the local-level elections will be held.

Several projects in Nepal involving Chinese companies, such as Upgrade Kathmandu Ring Road Second Phase Project, the Pokhara International Airport, the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Lumbini and the West Seti Hydropower Project have been consistently blocked for various reasons. China has every reason to require the Nepalese government to safeguard the interests of Chinese investors and contractors.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1038667.shtml

 

[NakedLunch]

India wants to sit at the big-boy table but neither can they play the game nor have they got the pockets for it. Wherever India bangs heads with China, it will be India that ends up with a red mark on its forehead.

 

[graphican]

Chinese State media admitted that current Nepal PM is pro India and there is little of substance in Nepal China deals and many Chinese projects in Nepal are blocked.
So this deal will be another one with Zero substance.:

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1038667.shtml

You are quoting a 3 days old new, while above news from Thomson Reuters is recent, which means Nepal is actually going to side with China on Silk Road.

India is actually going isolated and alone on its stances.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-china-idUSKBN16U21V

 

[Vengeful One]

You are quoting a 3 days old new, while above news from Thomson Reuters is recent, which means Nepal is actually going to side with China on Silk Road.

India is actually going isolated and alone on its stances.

View attachment 386250

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nepal-china-idUSKBN16U21V

Chinese media has already accepted beforehand the deals that will be signed will be of no substance and will be suspended
:

Even if Prachanda would ink some vital deals with Beijing, they will most likely face the same fate of those signed during Oli's China visit - being suspended by Deuba

 

[graphican]

Chinese media has already accepted beforehand the deals that will be signed will be of no substance and will be suspended
:

Weather will be suspended or not is a secondary question. The first question, is deal being signed or not goes in the favour of China.

And if China can make this deal happen now, they can make it happen later. India who could not stop this deal now, may not have a chance later either. But we'll look at it when it happens. For now,

China: 1
India: 0

But include port leasing by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh buying Chinese hardware despite Indian objections. And Pakistan is also building CPEC and so is China despite Indian frustrations. So score actually looks like this;

China: 4
India: 0

 

[Vengeful One]

Weather will be suspended or not is a secondary question. The first question, is deal being signed or not goes in the favour of China.

And if China can make this deal happen now, they can make it happen later. India who could not stop this deal now, may not have a chance later either. But we'll look at it when it happens. For now,

China: 1
India: 0

But include port leasing by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh buying Chinese hardware despite Indian objections. And Pakistan is also building CPEC and so is China despite Indian frustrations. So score actually looks like this;

China: 4
India: 0

All Chinese deals with Nepal have turned out to be Epic Failures and this one will not be any different:

Several projects in Nepal involving Chinese companies, such as Upgrade Kathmandu Ring Road Second Phase Project, the Pokhara International Airport, the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Lumbini and the West Seti Hydropower Project have been consistently blocked for various reasons.

That's not a surprise though as after all Nepal's PM is a well known for his closeness to RAW:
http://thediplomat.com/2011/11/nepals-pm-an-indian-spy/

India: ∞
China: 0.

 

[graphican]

All Chinese deals with Nepal have turned out to be Epic Failures and this one will not be any different:


That's not a surprise though as after all Nepal's PM is a well known for his closeness to RAW:
http://thediplomat.com/2011/11/nepals-pm-an-indian-spy/

What is your theory that Indian closeness with Nepal's PM would only come handy later and same closeness could not convince Nepal's PM to not initiate this deal the first place.

And there are always repercussions when you back-off from the deal, specially with a superpower like China. There are actually lesser chances that Indian influence will be able to get India anything later than now. So your chances of success have gone down further.

 

[Vengeful One]

What is your theory that Indian closeness with Nepal's PM would only come handy later and same closeness could not convince Nepal's PM to not initiate this deal the first place.

And there are always repercussions when you back-off from the deal, specially with a superpower like China. There are actually lesser chances that Indian influence will be able to get India anything later than now. So your chances of success have gone down further.

Nepal PM has to sign such deals as a cosmetic media attempt to show Nepalese that Nepal is not a vassal state of India.
But in the end just like previous deals they are never implemented .

Also China is no superpower they have the least global influence among the P5.

 

[graphican]

Nepal PM has to sign such deals as a cosmetic media attempt to show Nepalese that Nepal is not a vassal state of India.
But in the end just like previous deals they are never implemented .

Also China is no superpower they have the least global influence among the P5.

OK if I accept your first argument that Nepali Gov is doing to show that Nepal is not an Indian puppet state, then would Nepali Govt now prove themselves a puppet state when they will eventually reverse the deal?

And as I mentioned earlier, Nepal can make a deal with Bhutan and go back on that - easy - but Nepal cannot make a deal with China and go back easy. Dealing with a country like China demands clarity, confidence and commitment. For Nepal, it was relatively easier to say no to China now - than it would be later. Do you not get that either?

 

[Vengeful One]

OK if I accept your first argument that Nepali Gov is doing to show that Nepal is not an Indian puppet state, then would Nepali Govt now prove themselves a puppet state when they will eventually reverse the deal?

And as I mentioned earlier, Nepal can make a deal with Bhutan and go back on that - easy - but Nepal cannot make a deal with China and go back easy. Dealing with a country like China demands clarity, confidence and commitment. For Nepal, it was relatively easier to say no to China now - than it would be later. Do you not get that either?

That's because they will simply go back and not implement the deal when the media & public spotlight has reduced.

Also China has little to no bargaining power in Nepal, they were able to do squat when Nepal did not implement the previous deals.

 

[graphican]

That's because they will simply go back and not implement the deal when the media & public spotlight has reduced.

Also China has little to no bargaining power in Nepal, they were able to do squat when Nepal did not implement the previous deals.

So China is powerful now (and won Nepal over) but China will not be powerful later (and lose Nepal to India, despite Nepal having signed international agreements and deals).

Your argument is very interesting. Let's see how it turns out.

 

[Sully3]

India wants to sit at the big-boy table but neither can they play the game nor have they got the pockets for it. Wherever India bangs heads with China, it will be India that ends up with a red mark on its forehead.

this. they so badly want to be on the big boys table but when it matters and they have to put money where their mouth is they realise that they are still a 3rd world developing country with the highest number of poor citizens anywhere in the world.

 

[manlion]

Nepal Army discusses bilateral relations with China

https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathm...nister/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

China pledges Rs 3b support to Nepal Army

• Chang, Khand discuss joint military exercises

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-03-24/china-pledges-rs-3b-support-to-nepal-army.html

 

[Vengeful One]

Actually it's going to be just equipment for disaster relief and UN peacekeeping ops:

March 24, 2017- Chinese Defence Minister General Chang Wanquan has pledged a grant assistance of Rs 3.04 billion (Chinese Yuan 200 million) to strengthen the Nepal Army in disaster management and equip it for the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-03-24/china-pledges-rs-3b-support-to-nepal-army.html
That too only $30 million worth.

So China is powerful now (and won Nepal over) but China will not be powerful later (and lose Nepal to India, despite Nepal having signed international agreements and deals).

Your argument is very interesting. Let's see how it turns out.

China has very little power in Nepal.
It is helpless as Nepal pay no heed to implement deals with China.