KATHMANDU, September 4: Nepali lawmakers have asked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to publicly clarify whether Nepal has agreed to support China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) after Beijing claimed so in an official statement.
During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, lawmakers from both the ruling Nepali Congress and the opposition CPN-UML demanded transparency after China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that PM Oli expressed support for the GSI, along with the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Civilisation Initiative (CCI), during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on August 30.
Nepali Congress leader Dilendra Prasad Badu questioned why China’s statement included GSI support when the Nepal Embassy in Beijing made no mention of it. “The Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must clarify this matter urgently,” Badu said.
Opposition lawmaker Prakash Jwala from the CPN-US echoed similar concerns, warning that supporting GSI would violate Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy. “Nepal cannot side with any military strategy. If we endorse GSI, we risk being drawn into the security orbit of powerful nations,” Jwala warned.
The Global Security Initiative, launched by President Xi Jinping in April 2022, promotes what Beijing calls a “new model of international security” based on cooperation and non-confrontation. However, critics argue it strengthens China’s strategic influence globally.
Nepal has repeatedly rejected GSI, citing its policy of non-alignment and refusal to join any strategic military bloc. Yet, China has consistently pushed Nepal to endorse GSI through bilateral visits and diplomatic meetings since 2022.
In the past, Chinese diplomats in Kathmandu have made unilateral claims on projects like the Pokhara International Airport, saying they were part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), even though Nepal never officially confirmed this.
Former Chinese Ambassador Hou Yangi and current Ambassador Chen Song have both faced criticism for these claims, which Nepal sees as attempts to push Beijing’s strategic agenda.