{"id":17682,"date":"2023-09-28T19:46:14","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T14:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/?p=17682"},"modified":"2023-09-28T19:51:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T14:21:08","slug":"china-nepal-co-operation-role-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/28-09-2023\/china-nepal-co-operation-role-of-india","title":{"rendered":"China-Nepal Co-operation &amp; Role of India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ India &amp; Foreign Relations, International Organisations &amp; Groupings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">In News<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>China and Nepal recently signed 12 agreements, including seven MoUs, to enhance bilateral cooperation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">About<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nepal &amp; China exchanged views on the ways to further strengthen and consolidate <strong>mutual understanding and cooperation<\/strong> and give a new impetus in the front of <strong>economy, trade and people-to-people contacts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>MoUs are signed between the two to enhance bilateral cooperation in sectors including trade, road connectivity, and information technology.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Development Initiative (GDI):<\/strong> According to the statement, the Nepali side supports the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Security Initiative (GSI): <\/strong>Nepal appeared to reject calls from China to join President Xi Jinping\u2019s Global Security Initiative (GSI),&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connectivity Projects:<\/strong> China &amp; Nepal agreed to take forward ambitious <strong>cross-border connectivity projects.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Joint statement released by the two sides also outlined a number of <strong>border infrastructure projects<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Significance of Nepal-China Relations<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Development without security cooperation:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The joint statement reflects a careful balancing act from Nepal which has made clear it will work with China on development projects but take a cautious approach on matters relating to security cooperation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engagements in other areas of security cooperation:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While Nepal refrained from endorsing the GSI in the statement, it did agree to some elements of the kind of security cooperation envisaged by the initiative.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For example, <\/strong>both will \u201cundertake<strong> joint inspection of the China-Nepal boundary<\/strong>\u201d and agreed to further strengthen <strong>information exchange<\/strong>, <strong>capacity building<\/strong> and cooperation on training between their law enforcement institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Commitment to \u201cOne China Policy\u201d:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nepal is committed to the \u201cOne China Policy\u201d and not to allow the territory to be used for any inimical activities against China.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trade and connectivity:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nepal has been making efforts to increase trade and connectivity with China which is the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Global Security Initiative (GSI)<br><\/strong><\/span>&#8211; China&#8217;s Global Security Initiative (GSI) aims to build a <strong>diplomatic and security architecture<\/strong> to <strong>rival the US-led system <\/strong>of multilateral treaties, alliances, and institutions.<br>&#8211; Even as the concept remains ill-defined, Similar to the BRI, GSI <strong>will serve as an umbrella<\/strong> under which Beijing can promote a range of diplomatic initiatives involving various multilateral or plurilateral coalitions.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; The ultimate objective is to build a global security architecture countering the US-led system.<br>&#8211; GSI refers to a <strong>variety of security issues: <\/strong>terrorism, transnational crime, drug trafficking, public health, natural disaster, nuclear proliferation, climate change, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and biosecurity.&nbsp;<br><br><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Global Development Initiative (GDI)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/span><br>&#8211; The stated purpose of GDI is to&nbsp;<br>-&gt; Galvanise worldwide attention to development,&nbsp;<br>-&gt; Strengthen global development partnership,&nbsp;<br>-&gt; Promote\u2002international development cooperation, and&nbsp;<br>-&gt; Give a fresh\u2002impetus to the realisation of the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).<br><br>&#8211; China\u2019s President Xi Jinping had proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) as a <strong>global public good<\/strong>.<br><br>&#8211; There are<strong> eight priority areas for cooperation:<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>-&gt; (i) poverty alleviation, (ii) food security, (iii) COVID-19 and vaccines, (iv) financing for development, (v) climate change and green development, (vi) industrialisation, (vii) digital economy, and (viii) connectivity.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">India-Nepal Relations<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India &amp; Nepal share close and friendly relations characterised by age-old historical and cultural linkages, open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the <strong>age-old \u201cRoti Beti\u201d relationship.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sharing borders:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The country shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states &#8212; Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trade and economic ties:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India remains Nepal\u2019s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade crossing US$ 7&nbsp; billion in FY 2019-20. India provides transit for almost the entire third-country trade of Nepal.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s export to Nepal has grown over 8 times in the past 10 years while exports from Nepal have almost doubled. Despite the difficulties due to the pandemic, India ensured the uninterrupted flow of trade and supplies to Nepal.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nepal is India\u2019s 11th largest export destination, up from 28th position in 2014.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In FY&nbsp; 2021-22, it constituted 2.34% of India\u2019s exports. Infact exports from India constitute almost 22% of Nepal\u2019s GDP.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Operation Maitri &amp; post-earthquake reconstruction assistance:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the wake of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, GoI was the first responder and carried out its largest disaster relief operation abroad (Operation Maitri).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India extended&nbsp; US$ 1 billion to Nepal as part of its long-term assistance for post-earthquake reconstruction in housing, education, health and culture heritage sectors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Challenges for India<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Role of India in Nepal China relations:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>China\u2019s active outreach to Nepal in recent years has been partly prompted by India\u2019s increasing force posturing along its border.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some argue that the evolving Indo-US relationship also played its part.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nepal\u2019s eagerness to engage with China has been of interest to observers and largely misinterpreted as Nepal\u2019s strategy to acquire more from India.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Points of contention between India &amp; Nepal:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ties between India &amp; Nepal had deteriorated after India carried out an economic blockade that lasted for about four and a half months in 2015-16.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Due to this, Nepal had suffered a loss of about $1.96 billion.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Then there was a row over India\u2019s updated map released in 2019, showing Kalapani its territory.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As the resolution of these issues remain under diplomatic dialogue, public opinion towards India has soured in Nepal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>China\u2019s strategic investment in Nepal:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The shift in geopolitics with China\u2019s interest in Nepal has brought in strategic communication infrastructure network from north to south that will bear strategic regional linkages, variety of transportation systems and linkages from air, land, waterways to railways which will put up with security, economic and political significance and challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Way ahead<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Any change in perception towards India will hamper India\u2019s geostrategic and security concerns in the Himalayas, especially with China because Nepal shares a long border with Tibet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nepal\u2019s location and a large and porous border with India mandates that security concerns are interlinked and step up security management and defence ties would be in both countries interests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Daily Mains Question<\/strong><br><\/span><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Nepal\u2019s deepening Security Initiatives with China may hamper India\u2019s geostrategic and security concerns in the Himalayas. Examine.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/28-09-2023-China-Nepal-Co-operation-Role-of-India.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syllabus: GS2\/ India &amp; Foreign Relations, International Organisations &amp; Groupings In News About Significance of Nepal-China Relations Global Security Initiative (GSI)&#8211; China&#8217;s Global Security Initiative (GSI) aims to build a diplomatic and security architecture to rival the US-led system of multilateral treaties, alliances, and institutions.&#8211; Even as the concept remains ill-defined, Similar to the BRI, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17682"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17689,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17682\/revisions\/17689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}