KATHMANDU: China and Nepal began their first-ever joint military exercises last week, in a move most likely to miff New Delhi as Beijing shows off its influence in the region. The 10-day drill programme in Kathmandu, dubbed 'Sagarmatha Friendship 2017' referring to the Nepali name for Mount Everest, will focus on counter-terrorism, as informed by Nepalese army.
Military spokesman Jhankar Bahadur Kadayat said, “This is in line with our efforts to hold joint exercises with countries that have diplomatic relations with Nepal.” The drills might be watched closely by India, which has been a major ally of Nepal since the Jawaharlal Nehru era, with the signage of the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1950. While the landlocked Nepal remains dependent on India for the majority of its imports, its previous government had aggressively courted China as part of a nationalist drive.
“Nepal and China share a multi-faceted tie and a joint military exercise broadens that relationship,” said former Nepali ambassador to China, Tanka Karki. Chinese defence minister Chang Wanquan visited Nepal last month to discuss the joint military exercise. China has even granted several promises on Nepal, including a recently pledged $8.3 billion in investment, equivalent to nearly 40 per cent of its entire GDP.
