Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Chinese President Xi (L) and Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari (R). Photo: Narayan Maharjan/NurPhoto/ Getty Images
President Xi Jinping became the first Chinese president to visit Nepal in 2 decades on Saturday, as Chinese investors continue to pour millions of dollars into "one of Asia's poorest and least-developed democracies," the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Xi's visit emphasizes China's increasing interest in using South Asia as a "strategic hub for defense and transit projects," per the Times.
- And Nepal is a leading candidate for a transboundary railway under China's Belt and Road Initiative to connect China to the subcontinent, the Times writes.
The big picture: Both China and India have a history of trying to gain influence in Nepal.
- Nepal is traditionally closer to India, but Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is trying to diversify the country's trade agreements and shift its dependence off of India.
- Tensions have mounted recently between the 2 nations over the Kashmiri region in India, China's agreements with Pakistan and a military standoff in an area claimed by Bhutan, according to the Times.
- The signing of an extradition treaty that might allow China to remove Tibetan refugees from Nepal could prove to be one of the more delicate subjects between Xi and Oli as China continues to assert its dominance in Tibet.
Yes, but: Some Nepalese leaders are concerned that working with China and Xi puts their sovereignty at risk, notes the Times.
The bottom line: "China is seeking to find a sweet spot: to increase its influence in Nepal without upsetting India's security concerns in what used to be its predominant sphere of influence," Constantino Xavier, a foreign policy fellow at Brookings India in New Delhi, told the Times.
- “Xi is coming to Nepal to take it under China’s grip," Mrigendra Bahadur Karki, who leads the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, added.