Opinion | Why Nepal can play a vital role in bringing India and China together
The Himalayan state could become a bridge between Asia’s two giant powers rather than providing a focus for their rivalry
The corridor of land encompassing China, India and Nepal is one of the most fascinating that we are likely to encounter in the coming one or two decades.
If one were to splice a map of Asia right down the middle, chances are that you would break Nepal in half equally.
In that sense, the relevance of Nepal greatly surpasses the general view that this is primarily a country hemmed in and constrained by two much larger countries whose influence and impact far outweigh anything that Nepal can accomplish on its own.
In this new and evolving international political environment, Nepal is poised to play a very significant role as a robust interlocutor of both China and India and thereby to contribute to the greater enhancement of Asia itself.
But in order for this to happen, Nepal must first get its own house in order and stabilise its domestic situation politically and economically. This is a tall order.