- PM Balendra Shah met individually with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors, ending months of avoiding one-on-one diplomatic engagements.
- The move signals a shift from unconventional political styling toward traditional diplomacy and direct communication with Nepal’s immediate neighbors.
- While the meetings drew attention for their timing, they reflect a balanced approach rather than a strategic tilt toward India or China.
- Shah’s outreach will likely extend to other global partners, focusing on practical results in trade, infrastructure, and national development.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has begun holding one-on-one meetings with foreign diplomats, ending a months-long period in which his government largely avoided individual meetings with Kathmandu-based ambassadors.
Shah met Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Monday morning and later held a separate meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar. The meetings are the prime minister’s first reported individual engagements with the ambassadors of Nepal’s two immediate neighbours since he assumed office in March.
The development is significant not simply because of who Shah met, but because it represents a change in the way the new government has approached diplomacy.
For several months, Shah had preferred collective interactions with foreign diplomatic representatives rather than traditional one-on-one courtesy meetings. That approach was unusual for a sitting Nepali prime minister and had prompted questions about whether his unconventional political style would extend to foreign policy.
Monday’s meetings suggest that the government is now moving toward a more conventional diplomatic engagement—one in which direct communication with individual ambassadors becomes part of the prime minister’s regular work.
India: emphasis on an established relationship
In his meeting with Ambassador Srivastava, Shah stressed the importance of strengthening Nepal’s “historic relationship” with India and working together in areas of shared interest, according to information released by his secretariat.
Srivastava also conveyed greetings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described his discussion with Shah as an exchange of views on further deepening the multifaceted India-Nepal partnership.
The language used by both sides is familiar in Nepal-India diplomacy. The two countries share deep people-to-people links, an open border, extensive economic ties and substantial cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, connectivity and development.
But the importance of the meeting also lies in what remains unresolved between the two countries. Nepal-India relations have periodically been affected by disagreements over boundary issues, trade and transit arrangements, and other matters of mutual concern. A stronger political relationship, therefore, depends not only on diplomatic language but also on how effectively the two governments address issues that directly affect people on both sides of the border.
China: another important relationship
Hours after meeting the Indian ambassador, Shah received Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming at Singha Durbar.
The Chinese ambassador's meeting was described as a courtesy call, with the two sides holding discussions at the prime minister's office. Nepali media reported that the conversation covered bilateral relations and cooperation, while more detailed information about the discussion has not been publicly released.
Shah has also called for further deepening Nepal's relationship with China and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest, according to reporting on the meeting.
China is an important development and economic partner for Nepal, with cooperation extending to infrastructure, connectivity, trade, tourism and other areas. Nepal has also repeatedly maintained that its relations with China are based on the country's national interests and longstanding diplomatic commitments.
For Kathmandu, however, relations with Beijing cannot be viewed separately from Nepal's geographical and economic realities. While China is Nepal's northern neighbour and an important development partner, India remains Nepal's principal route for much of its external trade and has exceptionally deep social and economic connections with Nepal.
That reality makes maintaining constructive relations with both neighbours less a matter of diplomatic preference and more a practical necessity.
The real change: from distance to dialogue
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Monday's meetings is not that Shah met India and China, but that he chose to meet them separately.
Since becoming prime minister, Shah had maintained a relatively low-profile approach toward foreign diplomats. Reports noted that he had avoided individual meetings with envoys and instead participated in collective diplomatic engagements.
That approach was consistent with Shah's broader political image: a leader who came to power promising to challenge established political practices.
But diplomacy operates differently from electoral politics.
A prime minister must maintain continuous communication with foreign governments, particularly those whose decisions directly affect Nepal's economy, security, employment opportunities, development projects and citizens living or working abroad.
The latest meetings therefore suggest that Shah may be recognising the practical demands of the office and adjusting his approach accordingly.
No evidence of an India or China tilt
The fact that Shah met the Indian ambassador before the Chinese ambassador has generated considerable attention, particularly in foreign media. Some reports have described the development as a diplomatic “reset” or a possible shift in Nepal's foreign-policy priorities.
However, the available evidence does not establish that Nepal has chosen one neighbour over the other.
Both meetings took place on the same day. Both ambassadors were received individually by the prime minister. And the publicly released statements from the meetings emphasised bilateral relations and cooperation rather than any change in Nepal's strategic orientation.
It would therefore be premature to interpret the order of the meetings as evidence of an Indian tilt, a Chinese counterbalance or a major foreign-policy realignment.
The more defensible conclusion is that Shah is opening direct diplomatic channels with both sides simultaneously.
A test for Nepal's “balanced” foreign policy
The real test will come after the courtesy meetings.
Nepal has long sought to maintain balanced and mutually beneficial relations with India, China and other international partners. The challenge has never been simply to repeat the principle of balance; it has been to practise it when the interests of major powers do not necessarily coincide.
For Shah's government, that means maintaining Nepal's independence in decision-making while securing economic opportunities from all partners.
It also means avoiding a situation in which foreign-policy decisions are driven by domestic political symbolism rather than Nepal's long-term interests.
The government will ultimately be judged less by whom the prime minister meets at Singha Durbar and more by what comes out of those meetings: whether trade and transit problems are addressed, whether energy cooperation produces tangible benefits, whether development projects move forward, whether Nepal's sovereignty and national interests are protected, and whether ordinary Nepalis see any improvement in their economic opportunities.
Diplomacy beyond the neighbours
Shah's outreach is also expected to extend beyond India and China. Reports indicate that he is scheduled to meet US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Scott Urbom on Tuesday, suggesting that the new bilateral engagement will not be limited to Nepal's two neighbours.
That broader engagement could be important for a government seeking investment, development cooperation, technology, employment opportunities and international support.
It could also provide an early indication of whether Shah intends to build a foreign policy based primarily on personal political instincts or on a more structured diplomatic strategy.
From symbolism to substance
For many Nepalis, foreign policy can seem distant from everyday life. In reality, decisions taken in Kathmandu's diplomatic circles can affect electricity exports, fuel and consumer prices, infrastructure projects, foreign employment, tourism, trade routes and the movement of people across borders.
That is why Shah's new diplomatic outreach matters.
His decision to meet the Indian and Chinese ambassadors does not, by itself, represent a dramatic foreign-policy shift. Nor does it resolve any of Nepal's longstanding diplomatic challenges.
What it does show is a government beginning to move from symbolic distance toward direct dialogue.
For a young prime minister who built his political career around challenging the established way of doing things, the next challenge will be harder: turning that new diplomatic openness into a consistent, professional and balanced foreign policy that delivers measurable results for Nepal—and for ordinary Nepalis.
The meetings at Singha Durbar are therefore best understood not as the conclusion of a diplomatic decision, but as the beginning of a test.
