Chinamania in Nepal

My article Chinamania in Nepal appeared in Mail Today

News in the social media recently said that some Tibetan Buddhists in Nepal protested “against utterly ridiculous demand from Nepali's China sycophant politicians to ban the use of the khata, the traditional Tibetan white scarf, because it is hurting the feelings of the Chinese people.”


New-found Love
Whether true or not, the mantra, ‘hurting the feelings of the Chinese people’ is nowadays prevalent all over the world, but many Nepali politicians are at the vanguard of the movement. Have they seen the picture of President Xi Jinping, offering a khata to the stupa of the previous Panchen Lamas Shigatse during a visit to Tibet in September 2011? Probably not, but sycophancy and a search for facts do not often go together.
This is nevertheless symptomatic of the Chinamania which has seized the former Himalayan kingdom.
While some of the news coming from Kathmandu are comical, others have strategic implications for India.
Take for example, the fact that Nepal has chosen a railway-track gauge used by China, as standard for its network; Kathmandu justifies the choice by the lower Chinese costs. The move is a serious setback for Delhi which has failed to limit Beijing’s control over Nepal.
According to Reuters, last year India proposed to lay a broad-gauge (1,676 mm) rail link from Raxaul, the Indo-Nepal border to Kathmandu; but with China working hard to extend its own railways from Shigatse to the Kyirong land post and then to the Nepali capital, Nepal decided to use the 1,435 mm Chinese standard gauge.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth told Reuters that his government will ask India to use the Chinese gauge: “Standard gauge is less expensive,” was the rationale.
Also worrying for India is the fact that the planned extension of the same railway will go to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, near the Indian border; a way to annex Buddhism.
Today, China is everywhere in Nepal. Most of the areas of the Nepali capital and Pokhara have become China towns.
Plans for developing China's ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) infrastructure are progressing full swing. During the 19th century, Nepal exported rice, flour and ghee to Tibet while importing wool and salt; but today, trucks go empty to Kyirong (Jilong for the Chinese) and bring loads of industrial and consumer goods from China. One way-traffic seems to be the BRI norm.
Infrastructure projects are mushrooming, particularly at Rasuwagadhi-Kyirong port (the Tatopani-Zhangmu landport has been more or less abandoned after the earthquake of 2015)
For the Japanese newspaper The Nikkei, “the price is paid in diplomatic support for Beijing: The Nepalese consulate in Lhasa, the only foreign diplomatic mission in the Tibetan capital, recently reiterated unwavering support for Beijing's claims to both Tibet and Taiwan.”
Incidentally, India had a full-fledged mission in Lhasa till 1952 and a Consul-General till 1962; today, Beijing adamantly refuses to reopen it, wanting India to go through Nepal authorities for transborder trade.

The Tibet Pacifier
It is clear to any outside observer that ideologically too, Nepal has to compensate for Chinese largesse by following the line of the Communist Party’s propaganda. Beijing tries to fool the world by publishing a White Paper entitled ‘Democratic Reform in Tibet – Sixty Years On’ and change the historical reality which saw Mao’s troops massacring thousands of ordinary people in March 1959 in order to force the so-called reforms down the Tibetan throats.
But Kathmandu is today ready to follow any Chinese words; an exhibition “Past and Present: Photo Exhibition for the 60th Anniversary of Tibet’s Democratic Reform” was held on March 28 at Nepal College to mark the Serfs’ Emancipation Day; on that day, the Dalai Lama’s government was dissolved and replaced by a set of hard core People’s Liberation Army’s generals.
The 160-photos exhibition was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Nepal (Beijing has recently posted a very pretty lady diplomat as ambassador, making it more difficult for the Nepalis to resist Chinese ‘offers’) and the China Association for Preservation & Development of Tibetan Culture.
A Chinese communiqué said that people “from all walks of life in Nepal, Tibetans living in Nepal, and representatives of Chinese institutions came and viewed the exhibition.”

The Chinese Stupa
Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Nepal’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, asserted that the exhibition “was rich in content and that they could understand the development of Tibet’s political, economic, cultural, and religious fields from it.” He stated: “Nepal is willing to strengthen cooperation and exchange with various provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China, including the TAR, under the framework of the BRI.”
India seems to have lost a neutral neighbour, master of its own affairs.
Even the borders of Nepal are looked after by Beijing. According to The Kathmandu Post, Kathmandu has permitted the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to provide development assistance in 15 northern districts of Nepal “to meet their developmental needs”; these districts share a common border with Tibet. The agency was setup in August 2018 in order to strengthen “the strategic planning and overall coordination of the Chinese aid to Nepal.”
One unsaid objective is to stop Tibetans fleeing their native land and taking refuge in India. It has been remarkably efficient.
On March 30, a CIDCA team visited Kathmandu and held talks with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli; a proposal was made to further support Nepal’s border districts.
A small telling example of the prevalent Chinamania; in the 1970s, a Shanti Stupa was built by Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Buddhist sect; it was to be a symbol of peace on the top of the Anadu Hill, near the tourist town of Pokhara. Now the locals call the monument ‘the Chinese Stupa’, probably to please the Mainland tourists flocking the place.
One can only hope that it is a temporary phase.

Tibet: China moving the West ...and the South

In the recent months, rapid developments have taken place in Western Tibet.
This will be the object of several posts.


Banning Foreign Tourists 
As the 19th Congress approaches, China is nervous.
The Chinese authorities have banned foreigners to travel to Tibet from October 18 to 28.
During this period, the crucial Congress will be held in Beijing.
On September 22, Radio Free Asia (RFA) asserted: “The ban was announced by telephone about ten days ago”.
A Tibetan working in a travel agency in Xining (in Qinghai province) told the radio’s Tibetan Service: “During this period, it is not just foreigners but also Tibetans living in the Amdo region of Qinghai who are not allowed to travel in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).”
Agence France Presse confirmed: “During the sensitive, high-level talks, Tibet will close its borders to foreigners, while visitors traveling the country during that period will likewise be required to leave by October 17.”
Usually, foreign visitors and Tibetans living in the Chinese western provinces are not allowed to visit Tibet in March, at the time of the Two Meetings and the anniversary of the Tibetan uprising on March 10.

Demonstration of Force
Incidentally, on September 26, the TAR held the Ninth Regional Congress in Lhasa.
According to the Chinese media: "Police officers and civilians, armed police and soldiers and other involved in the keeping the stability of the region participated. There was a parade ‘to inspire the people’, during which the police vowed to keep a fearless fighting spirit and dare ‘to win the powerful momentum’".
The slogans were: “Loyal to the party, keep in mind the mission, fight terrorist violence, governance for stability, strong base solid, cohesion, advocate honor, dare to win.”
The participants pledged to the Party to maintain the security during the Congress. “Raise right fist, take collective oath.”

A New Highway in Shigatse
In the meantime, a new 40-km highway was opened which should shorten the journey from an hour to 30 minutes between Shigatse airport and the city centre.
According to The Global Times: “Experts believe the development will enable China to forge a route into South Asia in both economic and defence terms.”
It is not clear how 40-km of road could 'link' the plateau to South Asia; it looks more as a propaganda exercise to ‘scare’ India.
The Chinese tabloid says: “The road runs parallel with the Shigatse-Lhasa railway line linking the 5,476 kilometre G318 highway from Shanghai to Zhangmu on the Nepal border.”
Zhao Gancheng, a so-called expert and director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, who was one of the Chinese hardliners during the Doklam incident, told The Global Times: “It can link with the future cross-border Sino-Nepali railway. …The Sino-Nepali railway, which passes through the Chinese border town of Zhangmu and connects with routes in Nepal, will be the first railway by which China enters South Asia.”
Zhao has it probably wrong: the only railway ever mentioned is crossing to Nepal near the landport of Kyirong.
The new railway is apparently part a deal signed when Nepal Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara visited China in early September.
The People’s Daily wrote: “The railway includes two lines: one connecting three of Nepal’s most important cities and two crossing the border.”

A New Road?
RFA also mentioned the project of a new road affirming that Chinese soldiers and civilians who are building a road linking Southern Tibet to Nepal, set up a banner at the border, inviting Nepalese citizens on the other side to help them extend the road farther into Nepal.
Apparently the troops arrived at Nepal’s border near Kyirong on September 1: “they distributed food and clothing to the Nepalese, promising to help them with the roadwork and other construction projects in Nepal if permission can be obtained from government authorities in Kathmandu.”
It is rather strange that Chinese soldiers have started pressurizing Nepali local villagers to get the permission to continue the railway to Kathmandu.
RFA’s source said: “The Chinese began building a road from the Tibetan side of the border up to the Nepalese side about two years ago, and they have now finally finished that work. …Now, a group of Chinese military and civilian officials have appeared at the border, raising a banner and the Chinese national flag to win the hearts and minds of the people on the border.”
The fact is the road was greatly delayed due to the earthquake epicentered in Kyirong.
The railway line will probably follow the same route as the highway.
I have often mentioned on this blog, the new road (as well as the railway) which will link Nepal and Tibet.
The PLA soldiers carried a banner urging ‘loyalty to the Chinese motherland’ and calling for ‘harmonious living’: “This is a new development, and the local Nepali residents are concerned and have mixed feelings about China’s distribution to them of free goods,” said RFA.
The entire episode is strange but it denotes the Chinese authorities’ will to develop Western Tibet (Ngari Khorsum for the Tibetans) on a grand scale and open up on Nepal. It could be the beginning of a flood of goods and people onto the erstwhile kingdom.

Thre railway lines in Nepal?
Last year The Kathmandu Post had reported that four Chinese companies had shown interest to conduct feasibility study for Kathmandu-Rasuwagadhi railway line.
Kathmandu had asked China to conduct a survey and a detailed project report (DPR).
The Nepali newspaper noted: “Once the proposed railway is constructed, it will establish direct railway connectivity with Chinese railway which is expected to arrive in Kyirong, a bordering town of China across Rasuwagadhi, within a few years.” It was said that Sinohydro, China Railway Fist Survey and Design Institute Group, China Engineering Oversees Group (COVEC) and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) applied for conducting the survey.
The Post added: “The Chinese proposals follow Nepal’s request to China to provide financial and technical support for the feasibility study and the preparation of the DPR of the proposed Rasuwagadhi-Kathmandu and Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini Railway Project. The request was made during former prime minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China in March. During the visit, it was agreed that the relevant authorities of both sides would exchange ideas and proposals on constructing cross-border railways and rail network in Nepal, and support enterprises to start related preparatory work as soon as possible.”
This was during Oli’s times; it is clear that Beijing is putting pressure on the new government in Kathmandu to continue with the project.

Photo taken in 2012

The Strategic Importance of Shigatse
During the Doklam episode, Chris Biggers mentions in Bellingcat the strategic importance of Shigatse: “Commercial imagery acquired during July and August has shown up to eight PLAAF J-10 multi-role fighters parked on the apron [of Shigatse]. They likely arrived between March and April after at least five Shenyang J-11, a modified and locally produced variant of the Russian Su-27SK, departed the airfield.”
There is usually a rotation of the war planes between Shigatse ‘Peace’ and Lhasa Gongkar airports.
The article continues: “Similar to Gongkar, the fourth generation aircraft were also joined in late June by a rotation of MI-17 or MI-171 HIP, the latter an improved variant. At least two of the four HIP [NATO code name] had weapons racks or winglets attached suggesting they could perform combat or transport roles. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and the PLA Aviation Corp operate the platform.”
Further on August 6 says “we saw the first known deployment of a drone to the airbase. A single CH-4 medium altitude long endurance UAV, joined the HIP on the western parking apron. A primary satellite link was also located at a leveled support area north of the runway. The presence of the satellite link suggests the UAV is piloted from the airbase. This is the first drone deployment at a forward airbase observed since the Doka La crisis was triggered.”
The author concludes: “Bottom Line – Despite SAM [Surface-Air Missile] assets on alert throughout July, fighters deployed to Shigatse remained within baseline for the airbase. However, additional platforms deploying to this location should be watched closely as the PLA operationalizes its new theater commands and tensions remain with India.”

A crucial hub
There is no doubt that in the future the Shigatse airport will become a crucial hub.
This seen with the rapid development of the infrastructure (highway, railway line, ‘oil’ road) in Western Tibet, it is something that India should take into consideration.
I shall come back to this in forthcoming posts.

Photos of the Parade in Lhasa on September 26

 

 

 

More Tibetan refugees in Nepal?

Lobsang Gyaltsen with the President of Nepal

What was Lobsang Gyaltsen, the Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region's (TAR) government doing in Kathmadu?
According to the E-Kantipur, "Tibet region chief stressed better ties in security".
One funny thing, the Nepali media calls him 'Luo Sang Jiang Cun', it is the Chinese way to spell Lobsang Gyalsten's name! Others write Luo Can!
Gyaltsen (Mr. Luo, for the E-Kantipur) apparently urged Kathmandu "to put in place measures to curb 'anti-China activities' in Nepal."
Leading a six-member 'Tibetan' delegation to Kathmandu, Gyaltsen met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bam Dev Gautam and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.
What did they talk about?
"Bilateral issues including Tibetan assistance to bordering Nepali districts figured", says the Nepali paper which note that 'Luo' did not utter the word ‘refugee’ while speaking about his countrymen who have taken refuge in Nepal, but he repeatedly spoke of 'anti-Chinese elements'.
Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, the spokesperson of the Home Ministry said that "he urged us to curb anti-China activities and take stern action against those involved in such activities.”
He sought a better coordination between security agencies on both sides of the international border to curb such 'Tibetan' activities.
Home Minister Bam Dev was quoted as saying: “The Chinese side seems worried about increasing criminal activities along the Nepal-China border".
Why is Lobsang Gyalsten so obsessed with his countrymen activities in Nepal?
It is probably due to the forthcoming opening of Kyirong landport between Nepal and Tibet.
A few weeks ago, the official China Tibet Online reported: "The Gyirong [Kyirong] Port in southwest China’s Tibet bordered with Nepal will be formally opened in October this year. The opening of the Gyirong Port has been listed in the key work plan of national ports in 2014."
The website had also announced that a cross-border China-Nepal Gyirong Port Economic Cooperation Zone to be soon established; further the Gyirong Port will become a tourist destination for Han Chinese (not Tibetans).

One of the consequences of the opening of a new port between Tibet and Nepal could be the escape to Nepal of Tibetans resenting the Chinese rule.Gyaltsen told the Nepali ministers: "China doesn’t have any refugee as such”, but those crossing the border into Nepal are doing it illegally.
The ministers politely assured the Tibetan leader that the Nepali soil would never be used against its neighbours, i.e. China.
Gyalsten, with his one-point agenda, also called on President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Dipak Chandra Amatya.
Gyaltsen also discussed "possible Tibetan assistance to 15 northern districts of Nepal."  A Foreign Ministry official said there are indications that from next year, the Tibetan government will expand the cooperation in this field.
The present cooperation is mainly centered around security and the training of the Nepali border guards to catch the Tibetans who would try to escape Tibet.
It remains that the opening of Kyierong landport on a large scale makes Lhasa (and Beijing) nervous.
It was the only purpose of Mr Luo's visit to Kathmandu to tell the Nepalis to watch out and not accept more 'refugees'.
In April 2013, I mentioned some earlier important Nepal-Tibet meetings:

Already in July 2010, a meeting termed ‘Nepal-China Border Security and Law Enforcement Talks’ was held in Kathmandu. Both sides had agreed to set up ‘focal points’ in the respective Home Ministries in Kathmandu and Beijing. A senior Nepali Government official told The Kathmandu Post: “The Chinese side assured full support to enhance capacity building, training of Nepali security personnel to be deployed across the northern border, seeking Nepal’s full commitment on information sharing on anti-China activities with effective law enforcement mechanism to contain the activities.

In August 2011, an unnoticed development took place. Zhang Qingli, the then hardliner Party boss in Tibet, accompanied the Politburo Standing Committee member, the now disgraced Zhou Yongkang to Nepal. Zhou was then the supreme security czar of the Middle Kingdom.
A few months later, Chen Zhimin, the Chinese Vice-Minister of Public Security led a delegation to Nepal. According to the official communique issued after the visit: “The two sides exchanged views on cooperation of police affairs and law enforcement and reached consensus on some issues.”
The Nepali Press reported: “The Chinese offered ‘logistic support’ worth $300,000 dollars in the form of laptops, searchlights or metal detectors.”
Chen Zhimin was obviously very pleased with outcome of his stay in Nepal: “My visit is to find out ways to strengthen the bilateral relations between Nepal and China.”
Lhasa is indeed nervous that more 'refugees' could cross the border to Nepal and then proceed to Dharamsala.
By the way, do you know how Google Language translates 'Lobsang', alias 'Luo Can', you will not believe it, 'Lausanne'. The sound is not too different.
I had a Tibetan friend called 'Lobsang', I used to call “Love Song”, that is even better.

Bridge over the River Tsangpo

Crossing the Tsangpo

In an earlier posting, I mentioned that Lobsang Gyaltsen, the chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) promised some Nepali officials visiting Tibet that China would expand a rail service to Nepal, once the train reaches the southern city of Shigatse.
The Nepali delegation had also requested China's help for the construction of a line from Kathmandu to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha near the Indian border.
One step has now been made by crossing the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), near Shigatse.
According to the Chinese media: “The track-laying of the Lhasa-Shigatse railway has spanned the Yarlung Zangbo [Tsangpo] River for the first time on September 24, 2013.”

It means that the train will soon reach Shigatse, the capital of Tsang and second largest town in Tibet; then the ‘extension’ to Nepal can begin.
Xinhua explains: “Along with the 32-meter-long T-shaped beam which was put slowly on the pier of the No.1 grand bridge of Lhasa-Shigatse railway over the Yarlung Tsangpo River by the bridge layer, the track-laying of the Lhasa-Shigatse railway has spanned the Yarlung Zangbo River for the first time.”
China prides itself of this ‘iconic’ achievement: “The No.1 grand bridge of Lhasa-Shigatse railway over the Yarlung Tsangpo river is situated in the southwest of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, …with a total length of 874.25 meters, the grand bridge strides across the river, marking [the completion of] an iconic difficult project of the railway.”
Deng Jinyao, deputy chief engineer of the Construction Headquarters office of Lhasa-Shigatse railway told the Chinese news agency: “Since the construction of grand bridge in May of 2011, thousands of builders have overcome difficulties, such as high altitude anoxia and complex geological conditions, and achieved the established goals after more than 20 months.”
Deng explains that the construction of the No.1 grand bridge was delayed due to the windy weather from October to May, the bridge being located in ‘a large wind gap’. Further, the construction faced the ‘the worst flood in 50 years’.
Deng asserts that the Construction Headquarters office has “conquered many technical difficulties, guaranteeing the smooth construction of grand bridge.”
The Lhasa-Shigatse 253 km long railway started in 2010. The railway passed through one of the canyons of the Yarlung Tsangpo which is nearly 90 km long.
The Lhasa-Shigatse railway, with its 13 stations, will be operational in October 2014. The train, moving at some 120 km an hour, will carry an annual freight of 8.3 million tons.

Xinhua has already announced: “After the completion of Lhasa-Shigatse railway, it will further expand the influence region of Qinghai-Tibet railway, improve the transportation of southwest Tibet centered on Shigatse Prefecture, ameliorate the single transportation structure of relying on highway and promote the local economic development.”
In another words, it will bring more tourists and goods to Shigatse, before heading south towards Nepal and east to the Nyingchi Prefecture (north of the Indian border of Arunachal border).
Soon, Nepal will not be anymore an ‘enclave’ country ,depending on India to survive.
This reminds me of an editorial of the bi-monthly publication Mother India published in Mumbai on November 25, 1950. K.D. Sethna, the Editor foresaw:

Let us not blink the fact that Tibet is useful to China principally as a gate of entry to India. Sooner or later the attempt will be made to threaten us. What exactly along the 1300 miles of the new frontier the thrust will come it is too early to say. But Nepal, with sixteen railroads leading directly into India from her borders, appears to be the most likely objective. There may not be direct attack at first, for the Gurkhas are great fighters though their fighting abilities may not weigh against overwhelming number and better equipment. What is more likely is a Communist penetration of the existing popular movements a further working up of internal disturbances dividing the political structure as well the soldiery, and then the call by one party to China for aid.

One Party has already called China in; the Middle Kingdom will be able to send more and more civil and military material 'help’ to the Himalayan State …and perhaps millions of Chinese tourists as a bonus!
For India, it means that 1,439 km will have to be added to the lenght of its border with China.