Nepal minister refuses to pick sides between India, China: 'Can't replace father with mother'
When asked about China's increased economic presence in Nepal, foreign minister Shisir Khanal said two-thirds of Nepal's entire trade is with India.
Nepal's foreign minister Shisir Khanal has declined to choose between India and China in his country's bilateral relationships. According to Khanal, both ties are important in their own right and he would not want to replace one with the other. Speaking at an NDTV event in Kathmandu, Khanal emphasized that Nepal's foreign policy is driven by rationality rather than emotion.
He reiterated that India accounts for two-thirds of Nepal's total trade. Khanal further dismissed concerns over Nepal's border dispute with India, stating that it is not as significant as portrayed. He noted that Nepal and India share unique open borders where people can cross without documentation. The minister's comments come amid Nepal's struggle with the aftermath of deadly flash floods that claimed over 300 lives and left many missing.
Nepal and China are cooperating in search and rescue efforts, while nearly 100 Indian nationals have been located out of the nearly 800 unaccounted for.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
