No invitation from India, new Nepal PM Oli heads to China for bilateral visit

Nepal PM Oli to visit China amid strained India ties, focusing on loan status and airport issues.

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will travel to China in early December, the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) confirmed in Kathmandu, making him the first Nepali leader not to visit India on his first bilateral visit abroad after taking over.

After being sworn in as Prime Minister for the fourth time in July, Mr. Oli had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a United Nations conference in September, while Nepal Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba had visited New Delhi for talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in August.

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Officials said the visit to Beijing comes as New Delhi has not extended an invitation to Mr. Oli thus far.

However, analysts point to the visit as a symptom of strain in India-Nepal ties on a number of issues, including India’s objection to Chinese investment or components in India-Nepal projects, as well as Nepal’s pending request for additional routes for overflight from India for newly built airports that are running into losses.

More worrying for New Delhi is that Mr. Oli is the second leader after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to not make India his first destination for an overseas visit after taking oath. Mr. Muizzu had travelled to Turkiye, the UAE, and China before visiting India this year.

In contrast, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina waited for six months after her re-election in January 2024, visiting Beijing only after she had travelled to New Delhi for a state visit in June.