China-India relations: could Beijing agreeing a new height for Everest with Kathmandu stir up tensions?
- China and Nepal ended a long-running dispute and bolstered ties by adding 86cm to the height of the world’s highest peak
- But New Delhi is unlikely to be happy about Beijing cosying up to another of its South Asian neighbours, observers say
While the Indian government has been silent since the adjusted height of the world’s highest peak was announced on Tuesday, former Indian diplomats and observers say the move is a reminder of the challenges New Delhi faces in maintaining its influence in Kathmandu.
“The fact they jointly announced it … shows that they [China and Nepal] wanted to demonstrate that theirs was a very strong relationship,” said Ranjit Rae, a former Indian ambassador to Nepal.
The announcement showed “new dimensions” were emerging in the China-Nepal relationship and their ties were “certainly growing”, which was a message for India, he said.
By raising the previous highest estimate of Everest by 86cm (34 inches) to 8,848.86 metres (29,031.7 feet), Beijing and Kathmandu brought to an end their long-running disagreement and laid to rest the debate as to whether the 2015 earthquake in Nepal had affected the height of the summit.