In early December 2024, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made a historic visit to China, breaking with the usual diplomatic protocol that sees Nepal’s leaders head to India first.

During his trip, he met with his counterpart, Li Qiang, and the two leaders inked a significant nine-point agreement along with several MoUs, covering everything from infrastructure and medical cooperation to trade, tourism, and disaster management.

A day before the visit, Nepal announced it would accept $20 million in grant assistance from China—a clear sign of deepening ties between the two nations.

PM Oli’s trip raises key questions, not just about Nepal’s foreign policy shift, but about the growing influence of China in the region. With talks of expanding China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Nepal, there’s concern in India over the potential impact on its connectivity projects.

Speakers: 

• Amish Raj Mulmi, editor and author of All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s Turn to China
• Jabin Jacob, Associate Professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shiv Nadar University and Non-Resident Fellow, CSEP

Moderator: 

• Riya Sinha, Associate Fellow, CSEP

All content reflects the individual views of the speakers. The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) does not hold an institutional view on any subject.