It all started with the brilliant initiative taken by Minister of Defense Bal Krishna Khand when he approached the visiting Chinese defense minister General Mr. Chang Wanquan when the latter paid a courtesy call on Minister Khand at the Ministry of defense in Kathmandu.

Mr. Khand was the Defense minister in Nepal government from the Nepali Congress quota.

The Chinese powerful authority Mr. Chan had met Minister Khand at his office on March 23, 2017.

It was at this meeting the Nepal and China agreed to conduct a joint military drill which, the two countries hoped, should later be a part of its regular bilateral military exercise aimed at sharing experiences, skills and professional knowledge which they have been doing regularly with the friendly nations separately.

In effect, Nepal wanted this joint military drill to which the Chinese military General agreed on the spot.

As per the agreement between the two sides, a joint military drill “Sagarmatha Friendship 2017” has already been conducted in Kathmandu, last year April 15-25.
The joint drill was conducted in Maharaj Ganj Military Training School, Kathmandu which has alarmed the Indian establishment. The South Asian “burdens” seated in the South Block must have been pulling hairs hopefully.

Indian exasperation is understandable.

While such a drill in Nepal has made India uneasy then it is being taken as China’s increasing interest in South Asia.

But yet the question is: Could China be a reliable friend of Nepal?

The joint exercise is, as has been given to understand, for preparedness against terrorism which has already become a serious global threat.

Those ten days drill held in Kathmandu focused on combating terrorism and disaster management, said Nepal Military sources then at time of the drill.

The second season of the Nepal-China joint military exercise is soon to begin just after the conclusion of the BIMSTEC meet in Kathmandu.

The tentative date for the beginning of the said practice is September 15, 2018.

Since Nepal has already been the venue of the military drill and thus the upcoming drill shall be conducted in Chengdu, China’s southwestern Sichuan province which bears the name of “Sagarmatha Friendship 2.”

Sagarmatha is the world’s highest mountain in the world which is also known as Mount Everest.

Though Nepal’s communist government appears to be heavily influenced by the Indian regime but yet at times also gives the impression that it also wants to come closer to the Chinese establishment on multiple fronts for some mysterious reasons.

Is it the loyalty divided?

Though the mainstream political leaders were excessively close to India but yet they do not miss a chance to send message to China that they were more than willing to forge closer ties with the authorities in Beijing for the benefit of Nepal and there by lessening Nepal’s over dependence on India. It is perhaps in this spirit in May last year, Nepal had signed a memorandum of understanding with China to cooperate with its US$1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In June this year, China and Nepal agreed to build a railroad connecting Xigaze in China-controlled Tibet with Kathmandu.

Nepal is flirting with India and China both at a time. Sounds funny but yet true.

Comrade Prachanda is shortly visiting India as the government guest. To recall, Prachanda spent some good ten years of his so called “sponsored” people’s war by residing in Delhi as government guest. Delhi is Prachanda’s home away from home.

Beijing understands Prachanda’s Delhi intimate links but yet has invited him for a China visit. The former Maoists Chairman of the Maoists party of Nepal is visiting the land of Chairman Mao shortly.

China wants to “use” Prachanda’s good offices to bring India, Nepal China in a trilateral cooperation.

If built by China, the railway line would connect Nepal with China’s wider network of railroads and potentially provide the landlocked nation with alternate sources and routes for fuel and other imports that would mitigate its dependence on India.

The 2015 Indian economic blockade imposed on Nepal by PM Modi has convinced the Nepali population that India can never be a good friend of Nepal come what may. Modi is a villain now in Nepal.

However, a section of the Nepali society, media included, is against the Chinese rail entering into Nepal for some surprising reasons. The motive may yet be clearly guessed. Under table money matters perhaps.

The MoU for the railway was signed by Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadg Prasad Sharma Oli during a five-day visit to Beijing, where he met both Chinese president Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Nepal PM Oli is excessively close to India but yet has succeeded in sending signals to Beijing that he was keen on developing intimate links with Beijing.

But if it were Oli’s balancing act then nothing to panic. But is he balancing?

In the domestic front Nepal PM Oli has been losing his former nationalist credentials for his excessive India bent that is evident in these weeks and months.

Sensing the increasing influence of China in Nepal, India too is planning shortly some sort of military drill of the entire members of the BIMSTEC members, it has been learnt.

The Indian design is to sound China that the BIMSTEC members were loyal to India than what China may have been thinking otherwise.

The idea is to blunt the Chinese designs in South Asia.

Writes International relations expert Anil Sigdel (sic) “India’s another diplomatic success: use BIMSTEC platform and lead to military exercise in Pune with all seven members of which five are BRI members. However, Mr. Sigdel clearly hints that India has been “using” the BIMSTEC platform for its political benefits. By implication it also means that India gains over China speaking in strategic terms.

Modi #India’s another diplomatic success: use #BIMSTEC platform and lead to military exercise in Pune with all seven members of which five are #BRI members. #Kathmandusummit

— Anil Sigdel (@Anil_Sigdyal) August 29, 2018

Delhi must have been watching the upcoming Nepal-China military drill that is to begin from September 15 next month. If New Delhi concludes that Nepal has been creating problems to its security interests by moving excessively closer to China then New Delh has readymade options under its sleeves which could also once again take steps to impose more blockades and other trade-related punitive actions.

Either way, Nepal risks becoming a new frontline in the rising regional rivalry between China and India for influence and power in South Asia.