Nepal's foreign minister Shisir Khanal refused to pick sides when asked about how he sees the country's ties with China and India. The minister said that both relationships are significant from their own standpoints and he wouldn't want to choose one over the other.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (R) seen with Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, in New Delhi. (@DrSJaishankar/File)
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"We do not want to supplement one with the other (relationships with China and India). I would not want to tell my father that I'll replace you with the mother or the mother with the father," Khanal said during an NDTV event in Kathmandu. He said that Nepal runs on an emotional side but views foreign policy more rationally, thus considering both India and China as important neighbours.
When asked about China's increased economic presence in Nepal, Khanal said: "Two-thirds of Nepal's entire trade is with India."
Nepal downplays border row with India
Deep Dive
What did Nepal's foreign minister mean by not picking sides between India and China?
Nepal's foreign minister Shisir Khanal emphasized that both India and China are important to Nepal and expressed a desire not to prioritize one relationship over the other, comparing it to not replacing one parent with another.
Why did Shisir Khanal downplay the border row with India?
Khanal suggested that boundary problems are common among neighbors and stated that the issues between Nepal and India are not as significant as portrayed, highlighting Nepal's unique open-border policy.
How is Nepal addressing the consequences of recent floods impacting its relationships with India and China?
In light of the massive flash floods affecting both Nepal and its borders with India and China, Nepal is collaborating with China on search and rescue efforts while also managing the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the disaster.
"Only neighbours will have boundary problems. If you're not a neighbour, you would not have that problem. I mean, we have very open borders. It's unique in the world. People can just walk without any paper, pretty much," Khanal said at the same NDTV event.
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"Only neighbours will have boundary problems. If you're not a neighbour, you would not have that problem. I mean, we have very open borders. It's unique in the world. People can just walk without any paper, pretty much," Khanal said at the same NDTV event.
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Notably, China also factors in in India and Nepal's border issues.
Earlier this year, Nepal renewed its territorial claim over Lipulekh in Uttarakhand and had raised objections to India and China's plan to conduct the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Lipulekh Pass.
The Yatra is a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. The Lipulekh Pass is situated at the trijunction of India, Nepal and China.
Khanal's latest remarks on ties with India and China come at time when Nepal is grappling with the aftermath of massive flash floods that hit Nepal's Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.
Over 300 people have died and many more are missing.
Some destruction was also seen on the Chinese side. China is in close contact with Nepal over search and rescue efforts and is also keeping the relevant embassies informed.
About 100 missing Indian nationals have reportedly been located, with nearly 800 people still out of reach.
Poorva Joshi is a Senior Content Producer with nearly five years of experience in journalism. She covers Indian politics and geopolitics, with a focus on diplomatic relations, trade negotiations, and economic policy between countries. She has previously worked at India Today, CNN-News18 and India TV. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major national and international developments, including the Air India plane crash, the Pahalgam terror attack, India–US trade tensions, tensions in the Middle East, high-profile crime stories in India, multiple state Assembly elections, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She spearheaded the Bihar Assembly elections live blog, which drew over one million users to the Hindustan Times website. Her reporting on India–US tariff and trade tensions has consistently driven strong readership and engagement for the platform. In addition to reporting, she has spent a significant part of her career leading newsroom shifts, ideating stories, editing and fine-tuning copies, and seeing coverage through from planning to publication, alongside writing original articles. At HT, she received the Insta Award for being the top contributor to the HT News Team in November.
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Home/India News/Nepal minister refuses to pick sides between India, China: 'Can't replace father with mother'
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