The countries of China and Nepal are becoming ever more closer in their relationship through a recent dam deal that will have China Three Gorges Corporation construct a massive 1.8 billion U.S. dollar dam for one of Nepal’s biggest energy projects. This would not be the first time Nepal & China have been growing friendlier towards each other as a result of business and political deaths.
The dam, once finished, will be providing energy to hundreds of millions of Nepalese who go a year with frequently disrupted electricity and through harsh winters with the little energy they get to run their industrial lives.
China has been the primary investor in and backer of Nepal assisting the smaller South Asian country with large construction and infrastructure projects.
China has been giving much financial aid to Nepal so that the country can work on the construction of highways, airports and even hydropower plants.
Earlier in January, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao visited Nepal and met with its top government officials including Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai & President Ram Baran Yadav in his first visit.
After the conclusion of the brief meeting, Wen Jiabao pledged 119 million U.S. dollars to a grateful Nepal.
Nepalese government officials expressed their thanks and swore to commit more to maintaining stability within their country and cooperating with China on a greater scale in numerous sectors.
Though the Chinese aid has certainly been helpful for many Nepalese, it has gladly pushed the Nepalese government in tightening restriction on the thousands of traveling Tibetans who flee their homeland from Chinese repression and towards India where the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile has been residing since 1959.
Moreover, pro-Tibet and pro-Dalai Lama protests have been prevented by Nepalese authorities in the country so that the Chinese government wouldn’t be offended and actually carry fulfills its usual threats against Nepal it usually issues to countries that recognize the Dalai Lama.
The fact that Nepal is wary and resentful towards neighboring India as a result of geopolitics concerning water resources and the bigger picture of the China-India conflict only helps to grow the relationship between China & Nepal and introduce more Chinese businesses into Nepal than Indian businesses.
