Bidushi Adhikari, Feb. 15 -- Nepal and China have shared close bilateral ties for many years, reinforced by mechanisms such as the Joint Consultation Mechanism and the Nepal-China Inter-Governmental Economic, among others. After the first 'economic aid' ties in October 1956, China has risen to become one of the leading investors in Nepal. For the third consecutive fiscal year, in 2018, China topped the foreign direct investment ranking in Nepal, accounting for 84 percent (approximately $427 million) of the total investment. Since 2013 and as of December 2018, Nepal and China have signed contracts for investment in Nepal amounting to $3.32 billion.

While western investors have generally viewed Nepal's political instability and its rugged ...