Two nuclear-armed countries with second and third highest military spending encountering an eyeball to eyeball faceoff at the disputed border at Galwan Valley in Aksai Chin Ladakh area of the western Himalayas is not only shocking but concerning to the world. It is reported that the Indian side suffered twenty casualties and many injuries, whereas the details of the harm to the Chinese side is not yet published. However, the violent non-firearm border clash is not limited to counting the casualties. The broader geopolitical implication of this is much more concerning and scary to the region.

Most international relations theories view the world and the politics that surrounds it through materialistic Eurocentric lens. They measure the politics and foreign policy of global south in the standard set by the Euro-centric discipline and keep politics, foreign policy choices and the worldview of smaller states under the shadowed corner of global political calculations. Realistic school of International Relations led by Kenneth Waltz, John Mearsheimer and Randall Schwedler argues that small nations like Nepal would either bandwagon or balance against the powerful neighboring states.  But the history and politics of South Asian countries show a different trajectory.

Nepal needs to mainstream the BRI debate and analytically distinguish its pros and cons for Nepal’s long-term economic growth, political stability and operational autonomy

Major trade routes Nepal struggles to open with China today were customary trade routes to travel and supply goods to Tibet and vice-versa