Nepal Must Maintain a Balance Between the United States and China

On the 13th of Shrawan, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu returned to Kathmandu. He had arrived in Kathmandu on November 3 to exert pressure on the Nepali government to get the contentious MCC agreement approved by the parliament. Although the left-wing parties in the ruling coalition opposed the MCC, they nevertheless worked with Congress to pass it on the 15th of Falgun to preserve the alliance.

Following the MCC, the US has begun promoting the adoption of the SPP (State Partnership Program), another long-standing proposal. Concerning this proposal, there is also debate in Nepal. But even now, Jhalnath Khanal, the head of the coalition's left-wing wing and a former prime minister, has claimed that the SPP is a member of the MCC. According to the army, two helicopters have already been delivered due to this, and two more are on the way. Similar to the MCC, this agreement has also been implemented without concluding. It appears that they are attempting to use Nepal as a trap.

Contrarily, the SPP was rejected by the cabinet meeting despite solid opposition. However, the letter intended to inform the US of this decision has not yet been sent, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka, the letter was delivered to the American Embassy on July 9. The MPs are charging the House that the government is trying to advance the SPP amid this delay sneakily.

SPP is being criticized because its goal is to subsume Nepal under American military strategy, which will adversely affect Nepal's long-standing foreign policy. As a result of protests, Prime Minister Deuba's planned trip to America was also postponed. China's neighbor is not pleased with the US military strategy in Nepal, which appears to have an immediate effect on ties between China and Nepal.

Linking Lu's most recent trip to Nepal with SPP in this circumstance does not appear out of the ordinary. Even though the SPP was not immediately apparent during Lu's visit, it was expected that he would bring it up. In the MCC, the United States had also issued a similar declaration, stating that Nepal will not be obliged to embrace the SPP if it so chooses.

Following his meeting with the Dalai Lama in India, Uzra Zeya, the US Tibet relations coordinator, travelled to Nepal. Along with seeing Tibetan refugees, she denounced Nepal's foreign policy here. Although it was claimed that the government had approved his meeting, there was no official statement from the government. Even though Lu had encountered Tibetan refugees during his previous visit, the news barely mentioned it. These actions are disgracing Nepal's approach toward China. Whether the government intends for this to happen or is not being careful is a question that is being asked, worried about, and concerned about.

Although it is generally regarded as positive for important foreign diplomats to visit the nation, recent American moves to annex Nepal do not fall under friendly diplomacy. He had previously led an intelligence operation using Nepali territory to aid the Khampa rebels. Nepal is still being utilized politically against China today. A rise in traffic has been regarded as strange and out of the ordinary.

The Nepali Congress, Maoist Center, Janata Samajwadi Party, United Socialist Party, and Rastriya Jana Morcha are front members of an alliance that rules the country and cries out for progress. After Sher Bahadur Deuba formed a coalition government in June 2078, American involvement in Nepal grew significantly. According to the US plan, the method for overthrowing the previous administration and installing this one was made public.

MCC Vice President Fatima Sumar traveled to Nepal in July after the coalition government was established in June last year. In December, Donald Lu and Kelly Keidling visited Nepal. The same Lu even called Nepal and threatened them to pass the MCC from America back in January. During Baisakh, five senators from the USA visited Nepal. In May, Uzra Zia landed in Nepal. Colonel Charles Anthony assumed the army's Asia Pacific zone in May. Now, Lu Mahashay returned in July. The American embassy in Nepal likewise reached its peak at the same time. General Prabhuram Sharma of Nepal has also participated in the July 25–27 security and strategy conference of military leaders from the Indo-Pacific region. It's also possible that an effort will be made to sway the Nepalese army. The rise in American interest in Nepal appears odd in this regard.

The US is perceived to be intervening in internal politics with various inducements, economic backing, and threats as part of the goal to use Nepal as a pawn against China. His interests are currently represented in Nepal by the Nepali Congress Deuba group. The integrated socialists and the left wing of the Maoist centre are dedicating themselves to the Deuba group, claiming that the circumstances are urgently necessary for their survival. This broad perspective demonstrates the waning of Nepal's leftist and nationalist movement. According to Washington's interests, everything is being done. Some Nepalese academics have also made the case that Nepal is not responsible for safeguarding China. It is undoubtedly not Nepal's responsibility to defend China. However, they will realize that, as long as Nepal is still in trouble, stating we won't let our land be used against our neighbors serves to defend Nepal, not China.