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China Rushes Aid to Nepal After Deadly Earthquake; Taiwan Is Turned Away

4 minute read

China this weekend rushed a 62-person team to Nepal to help with the ongoing search rescue operation after Saturday’s 7.9-magnitude earthquake. They landed in Kathmandu early Sunday and set to work immediately, according to Chinese state media. The rescuers and a second group from the People’s Liberation Army are both well-equipped to help in the desperate search for survivors of a disaster that has already claimed more than 3,600 lives: Some are veterans of the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which had a 70,000 death toll, and they bring much-needed supplies.

Not making the trip just yet: a team from Taiwan. Though dozens of Taiwanese were still missing in Nepal, and Taiwan has strong capabilities in disaster recovery and relief, the island was not asked to participate, Vice Foreign Minister Andrew Kao said Monday. (Taiwan NGOs and religious groups do plan to go and Taiwan people have already raised a large sum of money to support the recovery effort.)

It’s still uncertain whether Taiwan’s exclusion is an oversight or a (very poorly timed) slight. But it is clear that a mere two days after the quake, as Nepalis dig barehanded for their loved ones, and families sleep outside in the pouring rain, geopolitical questions loom large. Chief among them is how China’s involvement in the recovery effort could further change the balance of power in the region, challenging India and potentially putting Nepal’s Tibetan exile community at risk.

Tiny, landlocked Nepal is a foreign policy priority for China. Located at the edge of Tibet, the nation of 30 million is a buffer state between regional superpowers China and India. Though India has long seen Nepal as part of its sphere of influence, China has in recent years stepped up efforts to increase its role across Central and South Asia, an effort President Xi Jinping calls the “One Road, One Belt” initiative. (The China-India proxy fight is also playing out in Sri Lanka, as TIME’s Nikhil Kumar recently wrote.)

See India's Rescue Operations in Quake-Devastated Nepal

Indian soldiers, left, on a rescue mission to Nepal rush to board an Indian Air Force aircraft near New Delhi on April 26, 2015.
Indian soldiers, left, on a rescue mission to Nepal rush to board an Indian Air Force aircraft near New Delhi on April 26, 2015.Altaf Qadri—AP
Plastic containers with drinking water are loaded into an Indian Air Force aircraft headed to Nepal, at a base near New Delhi on April 26, 2015.
Plastic containers with drinking water are loaded into an Indian Air Force aircraft headed to Nepal, at a base near New Delhi on April 26, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
The shadow of an Indian Air Force aircraft carrying relief material is cast on clouds as it approaches landing in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
The shadow of an Indian Air Force aircraft carrying relief material is cast on clouds as it approaches landing in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
Nepalese volunteers unload relief material, brought by an Indian Air Force helicopter for victims of Saturday's earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Nepalese volunteers unload relief material, brought by an Indian Air Force helicopter for victims of Saturday's earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.Altaf Qadri—AP
Nepalese soldiers unload relief material brought in an Indian air force helicopter for victims of Saturdayís earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Nepalese soldiers unload relief material brought in by an Indian Air Force helicopter for victims of Saturday's earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
Nepalese villagers watch as relief material is brought in an Indian air force helicopter for victims of Saturdayís earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Nepalese villagers watch as relief material is brought in by an Indian Air Force helicopter for victims of Saturday's earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
Nepalese villagers injured in Saturdayís earthquake await evacuation at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Nepalese villagers injured in Saturday's earthquake await evacuation at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
Nepalese soldiers carry a wounded man on a makeshift stretcher to an Indian Air Force helicopter as they evacuate victims of Saturday's earthquake from Trishuli Bazar to Kathmandu airport in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Nepalese soldiers carry a wounded man on a makeshift stretcher to an Indian Air Force helicopter as they evacuate victims of Saturday's earthquake from Trishuli Bazar to Kathmandu airport in Nepal on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
Nepalese victims of Saturday's earthquake lie inside an Indian air force helicopter as they are evacuated from Trishuli Bazar to Kathmandu airport in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Nepalese victims of Saturday's earthquake lie inside an Indian Air Force helicopter as they are evacuated from Trishuli Bazar to Kathmandu airport in Nepal on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
An Indian Air Force person walks carrying a Nepalese child, wounded in Saturday's earthquake, to a waiting ambulance as the mother rushes to join after they were evacuated from a remote area at the airport in Kathmandu on April 27, 2015.
An Indian Air Force member carries a Nepalese child, wounded in Saturday's earthquake, to a waiting ambulance as the mother rushes to join after they were evacuated from a remote area at the airport in Kathmandu on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
Victims of Saturday's earthquake wait for ambulances to take them to hospitals after being evacuated at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Victims of Saturday's earthquake wait for ambulances to take them to hospitals after being evacuated at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015. Altaf Qadri—AP
A man sits with a child on his lap as victims of Saturday's earthquake wait for ambulances after being evacuated at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
A man sits with a child on his lap as victims of Saturday's earthquake wait for ambulances after being evacuated at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.Altaf Qadri—AP

The “One Road” portion of the project will bolster China’s existing investment in infrastructure and trade. With better road links between Tibet Autonomous Region and Nepal, Beijing will be better placed to access markets in South Asia. China is now the largest player in terms of Foreign Direct Investment in Nepal, overtaking the previous claimant, India. All this, along with China’s massive investment in Pakistan, no doubt has New Delhi nervous.

Another sticking point: exiled Tibetans. Since the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, Nepal has traditionally been both a way-station and a refuge for Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule. But as China’s influence has grown, Nepal’s hospitality has waned. A U.S. embassy cable released by WikiLeaks in 2010 noted that “Beijing has asked Kathmandu to step up patrols,” and was providing “financial incentives” to those who apprehended would-be exiles.

Indeed, multiple reports suggest things are getting tougher for the estimated 20,000-strong exile community in Nepal. In April 2014, Human Rights Watch issued a 100-page report, Under China’s Shadow, documenting what they called, “a de facto ban on political protests, sharp restrictions on public activities promoting Tibetan culture and religion, and routine abuses by Nepali security forces.” (In a statement, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the findings as “unnecessary meddling into the friendly relationships between the two close neighbors,” but did not rebut specific claims.)

If neighborly sentiment means more aid for those still waiting in the ruble, few will complain. But Nepal has reason to wonder if this assistance will also bring a push for greater control.

Read next: Where Will the Next Big Earthquake Hit?

The Story Behind the Photos of Nepal's Devastating Earthquake

Emergency rescue workers carry a victim on a stretcher after Dharara tower collapsed in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, 2015
Emergency rescue workers carry a victim on a stretcher after Dharara tower collapsed in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, 2015Omar Havana—Getty Images
Emergency workers and bystanders clear debris while searching for survivors under a collapsed temple in Basantapur Durbar Square following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Emergency workers and bystanders clear debris while searching for survivors under a collapsed temple in Basantapur Durbar Square following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Emergency rescue workers clear debris in Basantapur Durbar Square while searching for survivors in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Emergency rescue workers clear debris in Basantapur Durbar Square while searching for survivors in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Emergency rescue workers search for survivors in the debris of Dharara tower after it collapsed in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, 2015.
Emergency rescue workers search for survivors in the debris of Dharara tower after it collapsed in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
A victim of Nepal's earthquake lies in the debris of the Dharara tower after it collapsed in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
A victim of Nepal's earthquake lies in the debris of the Dharara tower after it collapsed in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Emergency workers and bystanders clear debris while searching for survivors under a collapsed temple in Basantapur Durbar Square following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Emergency workers and bystanders clear debris while searching for survivors under a collapsed temple in Basantapur Durbar Square following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Residents run to shelters after an aftershock hit Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Residents run to shelters after an aftershock hit Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Resident passes in front of a collapsed temple at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Resident passes in front of a collapsed temple at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Residents sit in open spaces as aftershocks hit the city following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Residents sit in open spaces as aftershocks hit the city following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images
Flowers are left by survivors on top of debris from a collapsed building at Basantapur Durbar Square following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
Flowers are left by survivors on top of debris from a collapsed building at Basantapur Durbar Square following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.Omar Havana—Getty Images

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Write to Emily Rauhala / Beijing at emily_rauhala@timeasia.com