In China, Nepal PM ‘declines’ to endorse Xi’s security doctrine

Beijing/Kathmandu, September 26 : Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, currently on an 8-day visit to China, has apparently declined to endorse President Xi Jinping’s security doctrine even as the two countries agreed to undertake a “joint inspection” of their boundary.

A joint statement issued after Prachanda’s talks with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang only referred to the Global Development Initiative, (GDI), proposed by Xi, but his other two doctrines – the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which advocates a common global security paradigm, and the Global Cultural Initiative (GCI) – promotion of culture were conspicuously missing.

“The Nepali side supports the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China, and will consider to join the Group of Friends of the GDI,” the Joint Statement issued after Prachanda’s talks Li said. Prachanda had earlier met Xi in Hangzhou on September 23. Ahead of his China visit, Prachanda had said the GSI, which also advocates joint security, was not in the interest of Nepal to maintain a strategic balance between India, China and the US.

Fissures in Pak-China relations over CPEC?

Islamabad: China has refused to further expand cooperation in the areas of energy, water management, and climate change under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it emerged on Tuesday, signalling a strain in the ‘ironclad’ friendship between the two all-weather allies. The $60 billion CPEC is the flagship project of China’s ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.