China Backs Nepal’s Decision to Drop US Partnership Program

Kathmandu, Nepal, on June 22, 2012. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

China commended the Nepali government’s decision to reject the United States’ partnership program and reaffirmed support for Nepal’s “non-aligned foreign policy,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on June 23.

Nepal rejected the State Partnership Program (SPP) after a leaked draft of the program, which the United States reportedly forwarded to the Nepali leadership, sparked heated political debates.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Nepal views the SPP as “a military and security initiative closely linked to the Indo–Pacific Strategy,” which goes against the national interests of Nepal and its nonaligned foreign policy.

“As Nepal’s friendly and close neighbor and strategic cooperative partner, China commends the Nepali government’s decision,” Wang told reporters, adding that Beijing is prepared to work with Nepal on regional security.

“China will continue to support Nepal in upholding its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and support Nepal’s commitment to its independent and non-aligned foreign policy,” he said.

Leaked SPP Draft Agreement

Nepal’s minister for federal affairs and general administration, Rajendra Shrestha, said on June 20 that the cabinet had decided not to move forward with the plan to join the SPP and would inform Washington of the decision.

Shrestha said that all correspondence must go through the foreign ministry because “direct correspondence by the army has not done good to the country,” The Kathmandu Post reported.

This came after Maj. Gen. Michael Turley, the adjutant general of the Utah National Guard of the U.S. Army, reportedly handed over the draft agreement to Nepal’s Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma in April.

According to the alleged draft agreement obtained by Nepali media, the U.S. National Guard of Utah will be stationed in Nepal for training purposes and will be granted access to Nepal’s facilities with the consent of the Nepali government.

The draft stated that the SPP would be in effect for five years, but either party could terminate it by providing six months’ written notice through diplomatic channels.

The Nepal Army subsequently clarified that it had not entered into any agreement with the U.S. military and would not join the SPP as it “could adversely affect the military sensitivities” given Nepal’s nonaligned foreign policy and its geopolitical position.

US Claims SPP Isn’t Military Alliance

The U.S. Embassy claimed that the SPP was not a military alliance but “an exchange program between an American state’s National Guard and a partner foreign country.”

“The State Partnership Program is not an alliance of any kind. The United States has never sought a military alliance with Nepal, nor does it have plans to do so,” U.S. military officials stated on the SPP factsheet.

The leaked SPP draft was “fake,” according to the U.S. Embassy, and there was “no proposed agreement” between the two countries. It stated that Nepal had applied to join the SPP twice in 2015 and 2017, which Washington approved in 2019.

“Since the U.S. agreed to Nepal’s request to take part in the SPP, we have continued to have open dialogue with Nepali leaders to collaborate on what the cooperative exchanges under SPP might look like, to include possible humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness activities,” it said.

“No SPP-led events have occurred because Nepal has not wanted them to occur. Any events under SPP would happen only with the approval of Nepal.”