Progress and Prospects of U.S.-Nepal Relations under the Indo-Pacific Perspective
To curb China's influence extending from the Asia-Pacific region to South Asia,the United States(U.S.)has upgraded its"Asia-Pacific Rebalance Strategy"to the"Indo-Pacific Strategy"and significantly elevated the status of South Asian countries in U.S.foreign strategy.Nepal,included by the U.S.in the"Indo-Pacific Strategy",is considered to be a key country in the Indo-Pacific region.With strong pressure from America and active cooperation from Nepal,U.S.-Nepal relations have significantly strengthened and rapidly developed.In the political realm,during the Biden administration,the number of high-ranking U.S.officials visiting Nepal reached a historic high.In the aid sector,the U.S.successfully pushed for the official implementation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation contract in Nepal,marking a breakthrough in U.S.aid in Nepal's infrastructure sector.In the security domain,the U.S.sought to expand and deepen its security relationship with Nepal,with the Trump administration's 2019"Indo-Pacific Strategy Report"including Nepal in the"Cooperation Partner Program".Nepal made significant breakthroughs in both receiving and purchasing U.S.weapons.These new developments in U.S.-Nepal relations are products of changes in global and regional dynamics and the result of expanding mutual interests.However,the development of U.S.-Nepal relations is constrained by several factors,including insufficient attention from the U.S.,frequent changes in the Nepalese government,Nepal's adherence to a"non-aligned"foreign policy tradition,and potential interference from India.Despite these constraints,U.S.-Nepal relations are expected to maintain the current momentum for a long time to come.The U.S.will have more targeted diplomatic objectives in Nepal.In the context of significantly increased strategic needs of China,the U.S.,and India for Nepal,China must prevent the U.S.and India from jointly hindering the development of China-Nepal relations and guard against Nepal's potentially excessive demands on China.
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