August 23, 2020: As China continues to wield its influence over various countries, Beijing's nexus with the top establishment in the Nepal government has raised serious doubts over the Himalayan nation's 'autonomy' and 'ability to take independent decisions', according to a report in Global Watch Analysis.

According to an article by Roland Jacquard, the author explains China's policy of corrupting the political class of a country, especially those who are not economically strong. He also details how the foreign policy of Nepal, the latest entrant to fall victim to China's strategic expansionism, has veered towards pushing the interests of Beijing. In January last year, the day when China condemned United States' move to slap economic sanctions on Venezuela, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) also issued a similar statement denouncing Washington and its allies for intervening in Venezuela's internal matters. This was probably the first time Kathmandu had taken a stand pertaining to US policies in Latin America.

Another worrying and trend noticed in Nepal is the deteriorating human rights condition of Tibetan refugees residing in Nepal. The Himalayan nation shares a long border with Tibet and is home to over 20,000 Tibetan exiles, many of whom coming into the country after the Dalai Lama took refuge in India in 1959. According to a recent report submitted to the United Nations (UN), two human rights groups -- Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet and the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights -- have noted that the new arrivals of Tibetans to Nepal often face threats of being deported to China.

With the growing links between the Nepal government and China, Tibetan refugees are barred from holding elections to elect members of their refugee associations or celebrate the Dalai Lama's birthday, Jacquard writes in the article. Attempts to protest against Chinese persecution are met with a heavy-handed response by Nepali authorities, says the writer. To ensure that the top establishment of Nepal carries out China's bidding, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu has been steadily building a network of loyalists, and doles are given out to them, many times on the pretext of legitimate jobs undertaken for the embassy.