'Pro-China' Nepal Prime Minister Breaks Precedent by Visiting China Before India

Overcoming Dependence on India by Approaching China

K.P. Sharma Oli, the pro-China Prime Minister of Nepal, broke the convention of visiting India first after taking office and instead embarked on a visit to another neighboring country, China.

According to major foreign media on the 2nd (local time), Oli, who assumed the prime ministership for the fourth time last July, departed for China. During his four-day visit, he is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields.

Earlier, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a press conference regarding Oli's visit to China, "The two leaders will conduct in-depth discussions on deepening the traditional friendship between the two countries and expanding the Belt and Road Initiative (the overland and maritime Silk Road connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe)."

Nepalese media reported that Oli chose China as his first destination after taking office because he did not receive an official invitation from India. Having previously practiced a delicate balancing diplomacy between the two major powers, India and China, during his tenure as prime minister, he is now seen as moving closer to China to break away from Nepal's long-standing dependence on India.

India and China exert strong influence over Nepal, but India overwhelmingly leads in trade volume. Of Nepal's total trade volume over the one-year period from July last year, India accounted for about 65%, while China accounted for approximately 15%.