Nepal to join military drill with China

Kathmandu: Just days after backing out from the week-long military exercise of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries in India, Nepal has reportedly decided to take part in a 12-day long military exercise with China, media reports said.
India has expressed its displeasure with Nepal over its decision to not join the BIMSTEC exercise and has told Kathmandu that its decision is not appropriate.
The Himalayan nation seeks to end India’s monopoly over its trading routes by increasing connections with Beijing. At present, it depends heavily on India for the supply of essential goods including fuel and the use of its ports for trade with other countries. Kathmandu has for a while now, been seeking access to Chinese ports to reduce dependence on India. (UNI)