China’s periphery diplomacy and Nepal

 Yuba Nath Lamsal

The phenomenal rise of China as a global power has been a subject of intense debate and discussion among scholars and alike in the world, which has stirred both positive as well as negative reactions. Some have taken China’s rise as a threat while others appreciate China’s global presence and role. Beijing’s assertiveness in the international arena is being tipped as a positive trend towards challenging the unipolar state of the world politics.

The United States and its allies appear to be a bit skeptic and paranoid by China’s rise because Beijing’s growing clouts has already challenged the global hegemony of the Western powers. The Anglo-American power bloc that has been dominant in global power politics for the last two centuries is now busy in adopting a common and collective approach to counter and weaken China economically, strategically and militarily. But the rest of the world is euphoric and enthusiastic by China’s growth, which is being viewed as a good development for global balance of power.

China has always been a power to reckon with, albeit a brief period prior to the 1949 revolution. The world knew China by the name of sleeping dragon or the Middle Kingdom. There is an old saying ‘if the sleeping dragon (China) wakes up or wags its tail, the world trembles’.  This tells China’s role and impression in the world. The sleeping tiger is an inference that China is a peaceful power and it reacts with fierce force only when it was provoked. This inference is still valid for China as Beijing is always in pursuit of peace and cooperation worldwide and its growth and rise are for purely peaceful purpose.

Being a world power, every development and event that takes place within China creates ripples worldwide. But never has there been any kind of apprehension of China’s rise and its growing prowess in the neighborhood. Instead, neighbors have always taken China’s growth with ease as an opportunity rather than threat, except in the condition when some regimes in Asia are propped up and instigated to whip up anti-China activities. China is, therefore, in the global focal point of strategic analysis everywhere in the world including in the neighborhood especially after new leadership headed by Xi Jinping assumed power.

China has undergone three important shifts and developments after the founding the People’s Republic of China in 1949. These three important shifts and developments include: 1.  the founding of the PRC itself through a revolution under the banner of the Communist Party of China led by Mao Zedong in 1949, 2.reforms and opening up initiated in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping and 3. Xi Jinping coming to power with the resolve to pursue reforms with more vigor and rejuvenate China and establish Chinese values worldwide. With this vision, President XI has proposed the idea of Chinese Dream , which aims to rejuvenate Chinese nations at home and create a new world order marked by peace, good neighborliness, cooperation and common approach for human safety and prosperity. The Chinese Dream and the foreign policy approach that new leadership has adopted in Beijing have stirred worldwide debate. And Nepal can also not be an exception.

With China’s phenomenal growth and rise, there has been much curiosity as to what would be its impact and fallout in Nepal. There is both enthusiasm and eagerness what exactly is the Chinese new foreign policy especially in its neighborhood. Since Nepal is a close neighbor which shares over 1400 km border with China, it is natural for Nepalese intelligentsia to be eager to know what impact the new Chinese policy would have on Nepal. It is against this background, Nepal Council of World Affairs, a think tank on foreign and strategic issues, organized a talk programme last week, in which Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai was invited to dwell at length on the present state of relations between Nepal and China and their future prospects.

In the talk programme, Ambassador Wu spoke highly of Nepal-China relations and said that Beijing is willing to upgrade  relationship with Nepal to the level of strategic partnership. Amidst Nepal’s top-notched scholars and academics, Ambassador Wu said that Nepal and China are already enjoying the best of relations and these bonds would be further nurtured and developed in the days to come for mutual benefit of both the countries and the peoples. Ambassador Wu also touched upon all facets and features of relationship and cooperation between Nepal and China right from the historical perspective, which was well appreciated by the participants. The programme was a part of the lecture series that the Council has been organizing on various subjects and issues mostly on foreign policy, international relations and strategic issues. It was an appropriate forum that was best utilized by Ambassador Wu to brief and share with Nepali academics on China’s foreign policy priorities accorded by the new Chinese leadership.

There is no shade of doubt that Nepal and China have friendliest relations throughout the history without any problem and issues. But there is still no room for complacency and both the countries need to make their extra efforts for further deepening their relations and exploring and expanding more areas of mutual cooperation. This is more particularly for Nepal that has to try to take maximum benefit from the miraculous growth of its closest neighbor. It is indeed a matter of pride for Nepal that its closest neighbor, which has always been cooperative and friendly, has become economic superpower. Nepal needs to work sincerely to ensure that China’s rise is translated into opportunity for our development.

Perhaps this is the areas in which Ambassador has hinted in the talk programme. According to Ambassador Wu, China wants to have strategic partnership with Nepal. But the strategic partnership, as it is often misunderstood by some, is not and should not be any kind of military or security arrangement. And it should not be taken and understood in that way. Nepal is a country that is peaceful and had adopted non-alignment policy. It is always opposed to any kind of military pact and war. Nepal wants relations with all countries and expects cooperation for peace and development at home and also abroad. Thus, the strategic partnership with China is purely and entirely for economic cooperation between these two countries. Perhaps, China, too, understands Nepal’s desire and its vulnerability.

In other words, it is China’s desire to help Nepal’s economic development. There are many areas in which China is desirous and can help for Nepal’s development. Nepal is currently seeking desperately foreign invest in its infrastructure development especially in hydropower which requires huge fund. Nepal has tremendous possibility of hydropower development and it can leap forward in economic development if the hydropower potentials are duly harnessed. However, it has so far not been able to do so in the absence of necessary fund. China may step into this field which may transform Nepal from a poor country to a moderately developed one. Tourism is yet another area in which Nepal and China can cooperate. Both countries have tremendous prospect for tourism growth and development. China has already shown interest in helping Nepal’s tourism.

There were days when Nepal and China faced geographical barrier for promoting bilateral cooperation to the best of their expectation as the Himalayas stood tall between these two countries as a border. Despite barrier, Nepal and China have been making their best efforts for having best of heir relations.  As a result, contacts and bilateral relations had been established between Nepal and China right from  the ancient time. The bilateral relations that exist between these two Asian neighbors are not new phenomenon but existed since time immemorial. In fact, Nepal and China have long history of political, social and cultural bonds and contacts that date back to as early as the time of Nepal’s Lichhivi period and even before.

With the scientific and technological advancements and innovations, these barriers are being slowly overcome to a great extent. The Himalaya is no longer a barrier between these two countries but a great connecting point as well as symbol of good neighborly relationship. With this fact in mind, China and Nepal are now effortful in ensuring that their relations are beneficial to the peoples of both countries in practical terms as well as it contributes to regional peace. China seems to be more serious on this issue as Beijing wants its prosperity also benefits its neighbors. China is aware that its prosperity will be sustainable and meaningful only when there is peace and prosperity within neighborhood as well.