‘Himalayan Quad’: Western Skeptical On ‘Tran-Himalayan Cooperation’

Dhakal Bidhur Globe is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. The global powers are fighting themselves for geopolitical supremacy. Nepal’s geopolitical position in South Asia is considered strategically important to all. Two neighbors, China and India, want to keep Nepal aside from them. Meanwhile, for the United States, Nepal has been geography of strategic importance for South Asia. At this time, the Himalayan nation Nepal has been facing a clash between the three power Nations. Nepal, a partner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRE) proposed by China; is working together and separately with its three friendly nations in various multilateral fora. The US is been working hard to get Nepal, a member of the BRI, to participate in its Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS)- a defense policy. On the other hand, the US is in a way toward investment publicly in Nepal through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). ‘The controversial’ MCC is yet to be passed from the parliament. Together with the IPS, the US has initiated a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) involving Japan, Australia, and India to counter Chinese influence in the region. In particular, the first virtual conference of heads of state/government was held in March this year, 14 years after the forum was first initiated by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Interest of each and concern at the conference was China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region; and on the other hand, China’s support in the fight against COVID-19 in this area. At the same conference,US President Joe Biden announced more than a billion vaccines would be distributed in the region by the end of 2022 to reduce Chinese influence. Besides this ‘Quad’, another ‘Quad’ is in term of discussion last months in Indian and western media- ‘Himalayan Quad’ by China with its strategic partner Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. What is the Himalayan Quad and How its Starts? On the 27th of July 2020, Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, China, Nepal, and Pakistan held a video conference on COVID-19. In the meeting chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan foreign ministers were attended.  The Western and Indian media describes it as China’s ‘COVID-19 Diplomacy’. In November 2020, Indian scholar Jagannath Panda in a Journal of Analysis and Information in issue China brief published by the Jamestown Foundation called it as Trans-Himalayan ‘Quad’, and lament toward China as ‘Beijing’s Territorialism’. Indicating this quadrilateral video conference between four nations, Panda offers a new hue on it. The quadrilateral meeting focused on the enhancing Quadrilateral Corporation to encounter the COVID-19 pandemic was roasted as the security alliance and connected toward the Quad as the US, India, Japan and Australia are practicing in the Indo-Pacific region as the ‘Nato’. On April 2021, Yuri M Yarmolinsky, an analyst with the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research and former Consular of Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of India, in an article published in ORF Raisina Debates, noted the meeting as China’s unilateral and expansionist action in the region linking toward the increasing activity of the Quad. As the United States expands its investment in the Asia-Pacific region, Northern neighbor China has also extended a helping hand to neighboring countries. On the quadrilateral meeting ministers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal supported Wang Yi’s four-point cooperation initiative and thanked China for providing medical and food assistance, and for sharing experience on COVID-19 containment. In particular, the ministers highly commended President Xi Jinping’s initiative to make the vaccine a global public good. According to the FMPRC press release, these three nations will work with China in solidarity to deepen cooperation against COVID-19, strengthen joint response mechanisms, ensure unimpeded trade and transportation routes, facilitate personnel and trade flows, advance the “Silk Road of health”, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. Not only that FMPRC stated that these three nations will work with China to deepen Belt and Road cooperation, accelerate recovery in socio-economic and livelihood development, and promote post-COVID economic growth. This cooperation- Silk Road of Health, initiated by China is been called ‘Vaccine Diplomacy’ by Westerners. Yarmolinsky had added with SCMP this April that China already partners with Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on security and strategic cooperation. ‘Nepal is a strong foothold in the Himalayas in the context of the Sino-Indian territorial dispute, Afghanistan is a significant factor in ensuring security and maintaining stability in Xinjiang,’ he was quoted by SCMP. Beijing and Islamabad have been working on a US$62 billion connectivity and infrastructure project known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – part of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to grow a China-centered global trading network – and the two sides have also cooperated on tackling security challenges around their shared border. Nepal, meanwhile, receives foreign direct investment and economic aid from Beijing, which has also opened a training academy in the small Himalayan country for the paramilitary police force that guards its border with Tibet. The two nations’ armies have held counterterrorism drills together in the past, too. On a horizon, western media and experts tend to explain this cooperation as a security alliance as ‘Himalaya Quad’. In March, when the Quad leader meeting was held virtually, the Chinese and Russian Foreign ministry meet at Not only that, in March, the first meeting of the Quad was held and the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers hold the bilateral meeting in Guilin city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. The meeting shows the the unity against US and EU in the region. China and Russian have always followed the ‘four-point agreement on showing firm support from each other’, State Councilor Yi stated in that meeting. ‘We should uphold the universally recognized international law. China is willing to further strengthen cooperation with Russia under the multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and BRICS, jointly safeguard multilateralism, maintain the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, while firmly opposing unilateral sanctions as well as interference in other countries internal

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Coronavirus: Does A Global Health Emergency Need To Be Politicized?

Dhakal BidhurToday, February 20th, it has been 12:15 since these words were written. Probably, I would not have been typing these words here at a computer, if the corona virus infection had not spread in China or had even become more controlled. I would fly over Chinese soil, keeping Nepal in memory from the top of Everest. There was a rumor about pneumonia like an epidemic spreading in Wuhan while I was traveling from Sichuan, China to Nepal for over a 30-days’ vacation. Little did we know, the pandemic was yet to spread. At the time, China was preparing for the New Year. 10 days after landing in Nepal, on New Year Eve a message from a Chinese friend pinged on WeChat, ‘come with plenty of masks while you return.’ Chinese New Year is the time of the largest migration period in around the world. People go to the village to visit their relatives. Travel abroad for vacation. But this year, CoronaVirus (CoViD 2019 )which originated and then traveled from Wuhan in Hubei province to the whole mainland China has been confirmed in 25 countries around the world. According to the latest data, the infection of the Novel Coronavirus has exceeded over 75,000. Only around a thousand of the cases have been confirmed out of China. In China alone, more than 2000 people are dead. Only three cases of fatality outside of China are confirmed. China is currently at wartime against the CoViD-19. All of the governmental mechanism from central to local level is deployed in this battle. China and the Chinese people have taken strict action against CoViD-19, limiting movements, realizing that the biggest asset is public health. Thousands of physicians have been deployed in Hubei alone. Doctors are campaigning frontline of the battle against the CoViD-19 day and night. Chinese efforts to control infection According to the latest data, 5 million overseas students from 199 countries are currently pursuing their studies in China and an equal number of foreigners are working there as well. The number of foreigners infected so far is low. The official data is that one of the US national deaths has been confirmed. Although there are signs of infection in Japanese citizens, it has not been confirmed that they have corona infection. China, which is on the battlefield against the CoViD-19 has kept Hubei and Wuhan in lockdown to prevent infection. The people of Wuhan have been secretly kept in quarantine. The transition is still concentrated in Wuhan. According to the latest data, among 75 thousands of confirmed cases 61 thousands is in Hubei and 43 thousands more in Wuhan alone. This is 60 percent of the total confirmed case. Province near Hubei has confirmed cases near a thousand and death tool is under single digit. China has also taken precautions to prevent the infection from spreading to the rest of the world. China is paying close attention to the safety of international students. They are housed in secure university housing. Doctors are fighting the virus by risking their lives. Millions of Chinese travel abroad during the New Year. This year, China regulated it and protected the rest of the world from the risk of the CoViD-19. China has a population of 1.5 billion. That’s four times more than the US. A total of 149.72 million outbound trips were made by Chinese tourists in 2018. Meanwhile, domestic tourist spots are also popular among Chinese residents. The number of domestic trips taken by Chinese travelers exceeded 5.5 billion in 2018; a total of 141.2 million inbound trips were made by tourists from outside the Chinese mainland. Among the 2018 inbound trips, 30.54 million were made by foreign travelers, with 76.3 percent from Asia. The total number of outbound and inbound trips hit 291 million in 2018. This year the trips were much shorter. Those who went home on vacation were not able to return. The number of Chinese going abroad has also decreased. Most countries have tightened their entry on Chinese citizens. The CoViD-19 has affected the Chinese economy. Things are stagnant. Industries are not fully operational. Its impact has spread around the world. Is Western criticism justified? The West has been criticizing China for the spread of the CoViD-19. The US Department of Commerce said the United States would increase employment due to the CoViD in China. Criticizing China, one of the Denmark magazines published a cartoon featuring the virus in place of a star used on a Chinese flag. In the Western countries, Chinese citizens are being treated as if they are carrying CoViD with them. The West is tapping China on this issue. Now let’s look at some examples of such epidemics around the world. Ebola in West Africa has killed 11,323 people within 2013-16. The cases were confirmed in the US and Europe too. SARS, killed 774 around the world. In 2009-10, the 2009 flu pandemic or swine flu killed 14,286. Among the death tools 3,433 were from North America. The Zika virus, seen in 2015-16, was spread to 90 countries in the world. In 2015, swine flu confirmed in India killed more than two thousands. China is trying its best to control CoViD-19. Within 10 days, two designated hospitals were constructed. Most of the stadiums in Wuhan are now used as mobile cabin hospitals. Similarly, Chinese People’s Liberation Army doctors have been flown to Wuhan from all over the country. Not just the military, non-military doctors have been concentrated in Wuhan from all over the country. The local government is working to secure the return of foreign nationals from Wuhan to their country safely. Chinese authorities assisted in evacuating the Nepalese living there. Nepalese officials did not arrive from Beijing to Wuhan, but Chinese authorities made all preparations for the evacuation of 175 Nepalese. We must not forget now that, if China had not taken precautions, its infection would have spread worldwide. Not only that, Nepal is China’s neighbor. If there had not been these precautions Nepal would have

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US Tibetan Policy: Possibilities Of Using Nepal’s Land Against China

At present, there is debate of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Nepal. Secondly the debate of US Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) is reaching in peak. But, the US bill on Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2019 is in under the shadow which directly impact on Nepal-China relations. The policy targeting to the Tibet, an autonomous region of China has focused on Nepal to. This new law has shown signs of interference with Nepal’s ‘One China Policy’. However, there has been no discussion of a Tibetan bill passed by the United States in Nepal that has been embroiled in MCC controversy. In fact, in the political document presented in the second full meeting of the central committee of the ruling party of Nepal; Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) was stated that IPS had come in line with US strategy to surround China. Later It was corrected after the many of CCM agitate on the phrase. The document remains silent about the MCC and the bill. Meeting formed the task force under the leadership of senior leader JhalaNath Khanal to review the MCC. PrimeMinister Kp Sharma Oli, one of the Chair of the CPN is in position to pass the MCC from the parliament. This article is focused on the another factor affecting Nepal-China relations; US Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2019. What is the latest US law on Tibet? A law passed by the US parliament last month has closely monitored the human rights situation in Tibet. Also support the activities of ‘Dalai Lama’ and his followers. Not only that, it supported the separationist of the Tibet. The law is expected to put pressure on China to set up a US diplomatic center in Tibet. Under this legal foundation, the United States will now ban the new Chinese consulate in the United States until it establishes its diplomatic center in Tibet. However, China has commented that the US move would help those seeking independent Tibet. China has accused the US of questioning China’s sovereignty and geographical integrity. The law that is now passed will replace the ‘Tibetan Policy Act 2002’. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has recently raised the issue of Tibet. “We are supporting the rights of religious freedom of Tibetan citizens,” she said during a vote in parliament last month, “The Tibetan Buddhist community has the right to elect its religious leader and future Dalai Lama.” The new law has added a provision for the President to provide financial support to NGOs in Tibet for the sustainable development of the Tibetan community, to preserve cultural and historicity as well as to protect health education and the environment. Likewise, the bill envisages a special coordinator to look into the Tibet issue. The aim of which is to make the selection of new Dalai Lama through a democratic way through dialogue between the Dalai Lama’s representative and the Chinese government. Nepal under the new law Nepal is also discussed in US laws regarding Tibet. The third section of the law deals with the selection of the successor of the Dalai Lama. In this section, Nepal and Bhutan, India, Mongolia, China, Russia and the United States have a Tibetan Buddhist community accusing China of interfering in the selection of a new Dalai Lama. It also included the statement given by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on March 29, 1919, that the selection of the successor of the living Buddha along with the new Dalai Lama should be in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. In this section, explaining American policy, the participation of the Tibetan Buddhist community in the election of a new Dalai Lama is mentioned in a traditional way. According to the wish of the 14th Dalai Lama, there should be an election of the 15th Dalai Lama. The law stipulates that the Chinese government or any government’s activities that restrict Tibetan Buddhist activity will violate the basic religious freedom of the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhists. The United States may be banned from engaging in such activities. By which activities of the The fifth section of this law also mentions the democratic system of the exiled Tibetan community. Under which the Tibetan refugee community around the world should be given the right to elect a leader with the right to self-governance. In section 4 of it, referring to the Tibetan community seeking to preserve its culture, religion and language, the US State Department must deal with the Government of Nepal. “The Secretary of State should urge the Government of Nepal to honor the Gentleman’s Agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and to provide legal documentation to long-staying Tibetan residents in Nepal who fled a credible threat of persecution in Tibet in order to allow them to more fully participate in the economy and society of Nepal. ‘ By this Act, it is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for the Office of the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. Likewise, US will invest 1,250,000 $ on Name of Tibetan Scholarship Program each years on Nepal like nations. US will invest in Nepal on project of Humanitarian Assistance and Support to Tibetan Refugees in South Asia. It also amid to invest $8,000,000 for each year of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 under to support activities which preserve cultural traditions and promote sustainable development, education, and environmental conservation in Tibetan communities in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in other Tibetan communities in China. Under the Assistance for Tibetans in India and Nepal, US will invest 6,000,000$ in name of promotion and preservation of Tibetan Culture and language Development. This investment is directly amid to development of future generation of Tibetan leaders. It will impact the relations between Nepal and China. The act has authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for programs to strengthen the capacity of Tibetan institutions and strengthen democracy, governance, information and international outreach, and research. Not only

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US Indo-Pacific Strategy Aimed Containing China

Dhakal Bidhur Nepal’s governing party Nepal Communist Party (NCP), after the unification of the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Center) second central committee full conclude is on going in the capital Kathmandu. 20 month after the unification the political document introduced in the CC meeting adopt the strong views against the US Indo-Pacific Strategy stating that it is aimed at containing China’s rise in the global geopolitical circumstance. “The US has come up with a military strategy named Indo-Pacific Strategy to boost its influence and dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, to contain China’s rise as the world’s top economic power and to weaken it,” read the NCP’s political document presented by its co-chairpersons KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal in the party’s central committee on going meeting. China initiated Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been praised on the document of NCP who took over administration after the landslide victory on election held after the formulation of news constitution. The report mentions that today’s world economy will focus on Asia. “The Chinese economy and economic growth, accelerating to become the first of the world’s economic powers and growth of the Indian economy as a potential Asia-centric world power,” the document said, adding, “China’s BRI, Asian Infrastructure. Development Bank, BRICS between China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa and India shows the conscious initiation of cooperation strategy.” The BRI is described as the broad sharing strategy. Without naming the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact in which Nepal has signed in 2017 and ready to introduce in the parliament document sates, “Nepal cannot accept any proposal of political or economic assistance if that is part of any military alliance.” “The BRI presented by China today is working as a comprehensive partnership strategy to expand its connectivity and financial support globally,” the document said, adding that Nepal has also signed a BRI and has made itself a partner in expanding that relationship and cooperation. NCP document shows the need to take positive initiatives for the development of an independent and self-reliant national economy while maintaining good neighborly relations with China and India. However, the document is silent MCC which has been under discussion in recent years, inside and outside the government and in the streets. Speaking at the inauguration of a meeting on the issue of MCC, which was opposed by senior leaders of the NCP, Prime Minister and one of the chairmen KP Sharma Oli said that the report did not mention anything about the military partnership. But in ongoing discussion on the document senior leaders of the party has opposed on the MCC compact and are demanding to introduce MCC in the document. Indo-Pacific Strategy is ongoing debate in Nepal since foreign minister Pradeep K. Gyanwali meet US state secretary Mike Pompeo in Washington. After the meeting deputy spokesperson of State department released the statement stating as the Nepal as member of the Indo-pacific Strategy. Although the statement is out from the department website but the tweet of the deputy spokesperson is in archive now. The defense department release the report in June 2019; stating Nepal as the new member of the strategy. After that leaders of the NCP have strong position against the Strategy. Although government has not release the diplomatic note against the report leaders of the NCP are demanding to oppose it. In 2017 Nepal signed the MCC compact with US of 500 million dollars. Now it is in debate that the US is entering to Nepal to stop China and BRI through the cooperation. The MCC, describes itself as an “independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.” But, many of US defense report state that the MCC as the defense strategy. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia at the US Department of State David J Ranz on his Nepal visit himself has said that MCC is one of the most important initiatives being implemented in Nepal under the US Indo-Pacific Strategy. Now government and US embassy are giving clarification saying that the MCC is not the part of IPS. In this periphery of circumstance, small communist group outside the parliament are opposing the MCC. Right wing Nepali Congress the main opposition of the parliament strongly backs the MCC compact. There are at least three opinions inside the NCP. Party chair and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali are in favor of endorsing MCC as soon as possible. But the standing committee member Bhim Rawal and Dev Gurung are strongly opposing the Compact. Whereas with next chair, Prachand other leaders are silent or in mid point. They are stating, the compact should be in favor of the national interest. Hiranyalal Shrestha a Veteran diplomat in short discussion with this author; worried about Nepal going on IPS. “Nepal should keep balance relation with its neighbor and other nation. We should not be the part of the any military cooperation of any nation targeting to our next neighbor,” former ambassador of Nepal to Russia and former leader of the NCP added, “Nepal should not be the card of any nation against our neighbor.” Shrestha argued that Nepali leaders should be aware of the US policy to stop China in the South Asia. “Nepal has principle of non-aligned we should maintain it,” he added. In Nepal, there is a conspiracy that opposition voice of US IPS and MCC is backed by the Beijing. In this circumstance Beijing has cleared that China never opposed the foreign aids in Nepal. In a press conference held on January 3, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi has said, “We welcome any international assistance to Nepal if it is for economic cooperation. We would like to see the ratification process of the MCC and the Nepal government takes a positive decision for its interest.” It is cleared that the Nepal used to throw the China card against the India and Indian cards against the China. Now the situation has been changed. China and India

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के हो नेपालसमेत जोडिएको ‘हिमालय क्वाड’ : किन सशंकित हुँदैछन् भारत र पश्चिमा देश?

विधुर ढकाल दक्षिण एसियामा नेपालको भू-राजनीतिक अवस्थिति शक्ति राष्ट्रका लागि रणनीतिक रुपमा रहँदै आएको छ। नेपालका दुई छिमेकी राष्ट्रहरु चीन र भारत आफ्नो प्रभुत्व जमाई राख्न चाहन्छन्। त्यस्तै अमेरिकाका लागि पनि नेपाल दक्षिण एसिया हेर्न रणनीतिक महत्त्वको भूगोलको रुपमा रहँदै आएको छ। यतिबेला हिमालय राष्ट्र नेपाल तीन शक्तिकेन्द्र बिचको टकरावमा पर्दै आएको छ। चीनले प्रस्ताव गरेको बेल्ट एण्ड रोड इनिसिएटिभ (बीआरई)को साझेदार हो नेपाल। विभिन्न बहुपक्षीय मञ्चहरुमा नेपाल तीन छिमेकीसँग एक साथ र छुट्टाछुट्टै रहँदै आएको छ। बीआरआईको सदस्य रहेको नेपाललाई अमेरिकाले आफ्नो रक्षा नीति ‘इन्डो प्यासिफिक स्ट्राटेजी (आईएफएस)’मा सहभागी गराउन अनेक प्रयास गरिरहेको छ। पूरा पढ्नुहोस

के हो नेपालसमेत जोडिएको ‘हिमालय क्वाड’ : किन सशंकित हुँदैछन् भारत र पश्चिमा देश? Read More »

के हो नेपालसमेत जोडिएको ‘हिमालय क्वाड’ : किन सशंकित हुँदैछन् भारत र पश्चिमा देश?

दक्षिण एसियामा नेपालको भू-राजनीतिक अवस्थिति शक्ति राष्ट्रका लागि रणनीतिक रुपमा रहँदै आएको छ। नेपालका दुई छिमेकी राष्ट्रहरु चीन र भारत आफ्नो प्रभुत्व जमाई राख्न चाहन्छन्। त्यस्तै अमेरिकाका लागि पनि नेपाल दक्षिण एसिया हेर्न रणनीतिक महत्त्वको भूगोलको रुपमा रहँदै आएको छ। हङकङबाट प्रकाशित हुने साउथ चाइना मर्निङ पोस्टमा शनिवार नेपाल, पाकिस्तान र अफगानिस्तानलाई समेटेर चीन ‘हिमालय क्वार्ड’ गठबन्धन निर्माणको अन्तिम तयारीमा जुटेको टिप्पणी प्रस्तुत गरिएको छ।  यतिबेला हिमालय राष्ट्र नेपाल तीन शक्तिकेन्द्र बिचको टकरावमा पर्दै आएको छ। चीनले प्रस्ताव गरेको बेल्ट एण्ड रोड इनिसिएटिभ (बीआरई)को साझेदार हो नेपाल। विभिन्न बहुपक्षीय मञ्चहरुमा नेपाल तीन छिमेकीसँग एक साथ र छुट्टाछुट्टै रहँदै आएको छ। बीआरआईको सदस्य रहेको नेपाललाई अमेरिकाले आफ्नो रक्षा नीति ‘इन्डो प्यासिफिक स्ट्राटेजी (आईएफएस)’मा सहभागी गराउन अनेक प्रयास गरिरहेको छ। पूरा पढ्नुहोस

के हो नेपालसमेत जोडिएको ‘हिमालय क्वाड’ : किन सशंकित हुँदैछन् भारत र पश्चिमा देश? Read More »

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