A Study on China Factor in Future Perspectives of India and Nepal Relations

The political structure of Nepal has changed many times since 1950, ranging from monarchy to democracy, republicanism, constitutionalism, Maoism, and more. While doing so, it has felt the full force of its one-of-a-kind Himalayan existence—a "yam between two boulders." As Nepal's sociocultural diversity has proven, Chinese statecraft may be exploitative, intrusive, and damaging. Conversely, India has shown through its statecraft that it is neither an expansionist nor an intrusive power. It carries no particular political ideology. This contrasts China's statecraft, demonstrating that it does not convey any political philosophy.

A lot of people think that China will always play a part in India's relationship with Nepal and that, because of its location in the Himalayas, Nepal would constantly try to find a middle ground between the two Asian giants. However, after Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA) cum legislative elections in November 2013 and Prime Minister Modi's visit to Nepal in August 2014, the present article explores the likelihood that “India and Nepal” will begin a new phase. There may be regional stability due to India's gravitational pull as it begins a trajectory of rapid economic development. Furthermore, it is said that in future geopolitical encounters, the so-called "China factor" and the geopolitics of "balancing" would not have the same level of importance as contacts between India and Nepal, which are motivated by the two nations' peoples, their aspirations, and a desire for progress. This study will use the context above to realistically examine the role of China in the relationship between India and Nepal.