25-member US Congressional delegation in Nepal– has a Washington-Beijing shadow war in Kathmandu begun?

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<strong>The US Congressional delegation, which is currently in Nepal, thanked the Sher Bahadur Deuba government not only for ratification of the $500 Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant but also for supporting Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  Nepal has also accepted a $659 million USAID grant.</strong></p>
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According to <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/national/2022/04/24/us-delegation-thanks-nepal-for-mcc-ratification-support-to-ukraine">the Kathmandu Post</a>, the delegation from Washington is in Nepal “chiefly to seek solidarity against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.” The 25-member parliamentary delegation led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, met Nepal’s PM Deuba, Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka and opposition leader and former PM KP Sharma Oli.</p>
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The delegation, the news report said, has assured Kathmandu of all possible support in maintaining its sovereignty, territorial integrity and strengthening of democratic institutions. </p>
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Last month, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited Nepal. His visit was seen as an attempt to balance power equations amid Kathmandu’s not-so subtle shift in policy towards Washington.</p>
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China has already expressed its concern over the MCC grant, calling it “Pandora’s box.”</p>
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“Along with approval of MCC’s grant, a confluence of developments—including a recent $659 million USAID grant, Kathmandu’s rejection of new Belt and Road Initiative agreements due to concerns over Chinese loan agreements and a breakdown of unity in Nepal’s Communist Party—have pushed Nepal to take on an Indo-Pacific tilt,” geopolitical news and analysis platform <a href="https://foreignbrief.com/daily-news/bipartisan-us-congressional-delegation-arrives-in-nepal/">Foreign Brief</a> said.</p>
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The US Government’s MCC pact was signed in September 2017 but the delay in its ratification by the Nepalese government had become a sore point between Kathmandu and Washington. Several protests have broken out in Nepal following the ratification of the $500 million grant.</p>
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After Washington set a deadline of February 28 for ratifying the pact, it was finally ratified on February 27.</p>
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 <strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/economy-news/is-chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-aiming-to-counter-us-influence-in-nepal-159817.html">Is Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi aiming to counter US influence in Nepal?</a></strong></p>
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<strong><a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/economy-news/is-nepal-heading-for-a-full-blown-economic-crisis-165010.html">Is Nepal heading for a full blown economic crisis?</a></strong></p>