Did Nepal’s China-India balancing act cause it to ditch the US-run SPP security initiative?

The US embassy in Nepal was at pains to emphasise that the State Partnership Programme ‘is not and has never been’ a security or military alliance

Nepali MPs weren’t convinced. And New Delhi likely shared Beijing’s concerns about an increased US military presence in the region, analysts say

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National Guard troops are issued rifles and ammunition outside the US Capitol building in January last year. The State Partnership Programme is run by the US National Guard. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images/TNS

Published: 7:30pm, 14 Jul 2022Updated: 8:30pm, 14 Jul 2022

Washington’s plans to further contain China by expanding the United States military’s presence in Asia were dealt a major blow by Nepal’s recent decision not to join an US-run security initiative, analysts said.

After weeks of swirling rumours, Kathmandu late last month announced its intent to walk away from the State Partnership Programme.

The SPP, which the US embassy in Nepal was at pains to emphasise “is not and has not ever been a security or military alliance”, would have allowed military-to-military training and education in support of “common defence and security goals” as well as broader cooperation in areas such as natural disaster response. The programme is run by the National Guard, the US military’s reserve force.

US National Guard troops are issued firearms outside the Capitol building in Washington in January last year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Kathmandu’s decision not to join the SPP, which was preceded by fierce domestic debates and controversies, will set back US expansion plans in the region, analysts said. But it is also a move that sources said India would have tacitly backed – despite New Delhi’s own desire to keep Chinese influence in check.

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is set to visit the US later this month, sparking speculation of how the two countries will move past this hump in the road.