Nepal-China Cooperation In Emergencies

Nepal faces a complex security environment shaped by natural disasters, cyber threats and geopolitical competition. It needs strong institutions, modern capabilities and balanced defence diplomacy. China is an important neighbour with growing cooperation in selected security-related fields. Such cooperation can strengthen disaster response, peacekeeping, military professionalism, medical readiness and mountain operations. Every activity must follow Nepal’s Constitution, foreign policy and national interest.

Nepal’s Constitution places sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, national dignity, border security and economic wellbeing at the centre of national interest. It also directs Nepal to follow the UN Charter, non-alignment, Panchasheel, international law and world peace. These principles are Nepal’s strategic compass. Cooperation that strengthens national capacity should be welcomed, while every arrangement must respect Nepal’s independence of decision. Nepal’s commitment to the One-China policy provides a sound foundation for confidence.

Cooperation

The December 2024 Nepal–China Joint Statement records Nepal’s active participation in the Global Development Initiative but does not record its participation in the Global Security Initiative. Cooperation should remain issue-based, selective and Nepal-led. It should not imply participation in a military alliance or exclusive security arrangement. Nepal and China maintain an Everlasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity. Within this broader relationship, military cooperation should remain professional, transparent and non-exclusive. It should complement Nepal’s relations with all friendly countries and should not be directed against any third country. Cooperation should remain within Nepal’s legal and policy framework without creating exclusive military obligations. Friendship with strategic autonomy is the appropriate formula.

The recently completed official visit of Nepal’s Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, to China has given renewed importance to Nepal–China defence relations. During his 13–19 September 2026 visit, General Sigdel participated in the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum and met Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun. The visit provided an opportunity to advance professional cooperation guided by mutual respect and strategic clarity. The bilateral Sagarmatha Friendship Exercise provides a valuable platform for professional cooperation between the Nepali Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army. Initiated in 2017, the exercise has included counterterrorism, disaster response, humanitarian assistance and the exchange of operational skills. Training together for shared emergencies strengthens friendship while preserving strategic autonomy.