KATHMANDU: Reports claiming that China has outlined a four-point roadmap for its relations with Nepal have drawn attention in Indian media.
Indian outlet Navbharat Times published a detailed report citing an article written by Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming in the English-language daily The Kathmandu Post, where he outlined China’s approach toward Nepal.
According to the report, Ambassador Maoming stated that Nepali territory would not be used in ways that harm Chinese interests.
Referring to the ambassador’s article, the report noted that one of the most significant aspects highlighted was cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), described as one of President Xi Jinping’s flagship international strategies.
The article has generated discussion in India, particularly around China’s characterization of Nepal as a close neighbor and a diplomatic priority.
In the article, Ambassador Maoming wrote that China has consistently prioritized relations with Nepal within its neighborhood diplomacy framework and that China’s policy of friendship extends to all Nepali people.
He stated that China would continue supporting Nepal’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, support the new government in maintaining stable governance and assist Nepal in pursuing a development path suited to its national realities.
China’s roadmap for Nepal
According to Maoming, both countries agreed to align their development strategies under high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen practical cooperation across sectors and improve the quality and efficiency of bilateral relations.
He identified four priority areas:
First: Improve connectivity by accelerating cross-border transportation, border infrastructure and air connectivity to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and improve logistics efficiency.
Second: Deepen energy cooperation by expanding practical collaboration in electricity, power grids and clean energy to strengthen Nepal’s energy security and green development capacity.
Third: Improve the bilateral trade structure and promote mutually beneficial economic cooperation. This includes creating a fair, law-based and business-friendly environment for Chinese companies investing and operating in Nepal and expanding both the scale and quality of bilateral economic cooperation.
Fourth: Strengthen exchanges on governance experience, encourage people-to-people engagement and expand cooperation in education, youth affairs, local government and media to reinforce public support for Nepal–China relations.
According to the report, the roadmap also envisions advancing airport and infrastructure development projects in Nepal under the BRI framework, similar to initiatives China has pursued in other countries.
The report also noted that China has faced criticism in some cases over allegations that such projects have contributed to debt burdens in partner countries.
It concluded by raising the question of whether Prime Minister Balen Shah would deepen engagement with China’s BRI-related agenda.
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