China's Belt and Road projects offer diversification opportunities for smaller countries that could alter longstanding relations. Such Belt and Road influence is evident in a trade and transit protocol finalized by China and Nepal in September 2018. Nepal, remote and landlocked, a country of 29 million sandwiched between China and India, has deep ties with India. “Nepal has historically relied on India for about 98 percent of its transit trade, primarily through the ports of Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, but the new deal with China reverses that dependence,” explains Nicolas Contessi. “Although India and Nepal share no less than 25 border crossings, the current arrangement imposes numerous delays and bottlenecks.” Nepal, following in the footsteps of landlocked Kazakhstan in pursuit of connectivity, now has access to four seaports and three dryports in China. Nepal remains cautious yet expects the new options to reduce the neglect that can accompany dependence. Eventually, Nepal could even emerge as a bridge between the two Asian giants. Contessi concludes: “Nepal highlights how the Belt and Road Initiative is shuffling cards in many decks, unsettling entrenched power relations and spheres of influence.” – YaleGlobal
