In recent years, China's rapid economic development and the improvement of its international status have attracted the attention and willingness of neighboring countries to cooperate. In three countries, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, they chose to establish closer cooperation with China, not out of resentment against India, but for their own national interests and the need for independent development.
Bhutan, a country located in the eastern foothills of the Himalayas, has long been under India's economic and military control. In recent years, however, Bhutan has increasingly felt its passive position in this relationship. They saw China's rise in regional cooperation and China's focus and achievements in economic development. Therefore, in order to change its destiny, Bhutan, after debate and careful consideration, decided to seek closer cooperation with China.
Flag of Bhutan
As a neighbor of India, Nepal has always maintained close economic and cultural ties with India. However, India tends to treat its relations with Nepal as its own vassal. This attitude was particularly evident after the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, when India was not friendly enough to provide assistance to Nepal. In contrast, China has always adhered to the principles of equality, respect and friendship in its treatment of Nepal's assistance. Therefore, in order to get rid of its dependence on India, Nepal has chosen to establish more extensive and close cooperation with China.
Flag of Nepal
Sri Lanka is a pearl of the Indian Ocean and has always been influenced by India's geopolitics. India has sought to treat the island nation as its own backyard and has used economic aid and military cooperation to maintain its influence in Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lanka is waking up to the need for an independent foreign policy and strong and balanced relations with multiple countries. In its pragmatic cooperation with China, Sri Lanka has found a path to balance sovereignty and economic development. They found that China has strong strength and experience in economic construction, infrastructure construction and international cooperation, and can become a more solid partner for Sri Lanka.
Flag of Sri Lanka
The choice of these three countries to establish closer cooperation with China reflects their need to pursue independence and development in regional affairs. They hope that through cooperation with China, they will get more development opportunities and space and get rid of the fate of being suppressed by India. This incident shows that China is playing an increasingly important role in regional affairs, and also proves that China adheres to the diplomatic concept of peace, fairness and cooperation, and has won the recognition and support of neighboring countries.
To sum up, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, three small neighboring countries bullied by India, decided to get rid of their passive position and join China. To some extent, this reflects India's loss of self-control and imbalance in neighboring relations, and also demonstrates China's reality and positive influence in regional affairs. This trend is of great significance for peace and development in the entire Asian region.