ECHOINGincreasing cooperation between China and Nepal, a new international airportbuilt by a Chinese company with Chinese loans was inaugurated in Nepal on January 1, with officials from both countries hailing the project as a major success ofbilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Theinauguration of the airport together with other recent developments inChina-Nepal cooperation such as the launch of a feasibility study on across-border railway has attracted growing attention from Indian media, asIndia watches closely for a potential policy shift since Pushpa Kamal Dahal,popularly known as Prachanda, became Nepal's new prime minister, Chineseexperts noted on Monday, urging New Delhi to drop its zero-sum attitude towardChina-Nepal cooperation.