Delhi cold to India, Nepal and China cooperation

New Delhi has a given thumbs down to a proposal for trilateral cooperation involving Nepal, India and China.

Updated on: Apr 25, 2013, 01:49:38 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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New Delhi has a given thumbs down to a proposal for trilateral cooperation involving Nepal, India and China.

“It is too early to work on trilateral cooperation,” external affairs minister Salman Khurshid told a group of visiting Nepali journalists at his office in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Nepali newspapers quoted Khurshid as saying that though India is happy to work with Nepal and China bilaterally, it was not ready for a trilateral cooperation involving both countries.

Reports quoting the minister said India is still in the process of discovering China after the 1962 war and has misgivings on a trilateral pact due to Beijing’s closeness to Pakistan.

The idea of trilateral cooperation among the three neighbours was first publicly made by Yang Houlan, former Chinese ambassador to Kathmandu, at an interaction with journalists last year.

“We would like to have more cooperation with India to support Nepal’s development. We are positive about this kind of trilateral cooperation,” the senior diplomat had said.

Though there has been no admission in this regard from India, Houlan had stated that there have been “many consultations” between New Delhi and Beijing on working together to develop Nepal.

As one of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal, which is sandwiched between India and China, hopes to benefit from the rapid economic progress made by the two neighbours.

Former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai had said the country could act as a bridge between India and China and the idea of trilateral cooperation is very much in vogue in Kathmandu.

Maoist party chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, who returned from a trip to China last week, talked about this model of cooperation with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During his deliberations he proposed that the three neighbours should work together to develop Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal, and the Chisapani hydro-power project.

Prachanda is scheduled to visit New Delhi later this week and meet several Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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