The Impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative on India-Nepal Relations

Nepal is a landlocked country, so its geographical location makes it a buffer (intermediate) state between these two rising powers with a history of fluctuating relations.This geopolitical rivalry is seen in two broad trends that are reflected in Nepal's foreign policy.The first relates to the gradual increase in China's presence and influence in Nepal's politics, and the second relates to the periodic ups and downs in Nepal's relations with India.However, it is too early to make a definitive assessment at this point of time whether these trends represent a permanent change in Nepal's relations with India and China.This research paper evaluates how does China's Belt and Road Initiative (One Belt One Road) affect India-Nepal relations.