Nepal's veteran communist politician K.P. Sharma Oli, returning as the country's prime minister this year for a fourth time, sought to kick-start infrastructure projects with Beijing this week amid a pivot away from India's sphere of influence.

Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli waves alongside his wife Radhika Shakya before his departure, at the Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu on December 2, 2024. Photo:

The India-Bangladesh relationship took a turn for the worse following the June 2024 uprising, which unseated Prime Minister Hasina. Hasina fled to India and has been in New Delhi since then, and the new Bangladesh leadership has accused her of indulging in acts of destabilising Bangladesh while in India.

Nepal's veteran communist politician K.P. Sharma Oli, returning as prime minister this year for a fourth time, aims to persuade Beijing to give new momentum to planned infrastructure projects during a days-long visit to China.

Nepal's prime minister was in Beijing on Tuesday to meet Chinese leaders, seeking to expand infrastructure cooperation after breaking with the longstanding tradition of new leaders making their first official visit to neighbouring India.