A casual chat with Sabina from Nepal

In this video I have a chat with a long-time Twitter friend from Nepal, Sabina. Sabina is usually only active on twitter at @Sabina_91521, but today she stepped outside of her comfort zone to join me on a video call. We didn't have a particular agenda or topic list going in, but we ended up talking mostly about China, Nepal, India and their relationships.

[MightySteve]

I give Sabina a lot of credit and being brave to voice her opinion on the social network.

[evelinericksson]

Amazing interview. I knew very little about Nepal and learned so much about the history of this region today. I have one story. My mom visited Nepal in 2018. She usually stays in "high-end" hotels when traveling in developing countries due to the language barrier and being a senior citizen. One day, the hotel she stayed in lost power in the evening, and no hot water either. She went down to the lobby to complain. The hotel manager was very nice and apologized. He also said losing power once awhile for a couple of hours has been a huge improvement comparing losing power every day just a couple of years ago. Mom asked what the government did to improve, the hotel manager hesitated. Mom is a typical caucasian with blonde hair and fair skin, and she travels with a US passport. Eventually, the manager quietly told her that it was that belt-road program from China. She told me that she could see Chinese cellphone stores everywhere in Neploean cities, and some stores have signs in Chinese too. If China is trying to use infrastructure programs to exchange for business opportunities in the country, I would say "why not". This is way better than what we west did to developing countries for years by using bombs and troops to take their resource and open up their markets.

[TheFourthdime]

Again, great interview Daniel. Keep shining the light on the truth, you are doing great Sabina. Nepal will one day be able to choose her own destiny. A destiny of peace and prosperity towards the north.

[newworld]

Thanks to Daniel for hearing the views of Nepal on china and india. India has history of encroachment on every Nepal border linked with india but china has never threatened, interfere in Nepal soverginity or encroached any land of Nepal. We have always respected one china policy and they have always respected our soverginity.
We can never forget what india did to us during Earthquake, it was inhuman, we were suffering but india pushed back us to drown. About 70 percent Nepalese people have negative views of india and will always be and which will never change.
Jai Nepal and a love from Nepal to china.

[ivanlee]

Its so heart warming to know that there are sensible and mature people in this world. Please carry on the good work Daniel

[shaphitoyib]

India has always served her master (UK n US).India has no pride

[doroff]

Also there’s a troll in this reply section called as Ridhimma Isola. Watch out for this rabid troll everyone!
Again, great work Daniel and Sabina

[cosmoray]

I didn't know Nepal has such interesting history.
Excellent conversation Daniel and stay safe Sabina.

[JO-etir]

According to Wikipedia Nepal lost about forty percent of their territory to the British. Hopefully the China Nepal railway is built and Nepal won't be so dependent on India.

[dragonjpt]

One thing I wanna tell all Chinese brothers that, rest assured that except few paid and sponsored ppl, most of the Nepalese have very good thinking about China.. Here, u can win election for strengthening relation with China and getting tougher on India.. So, this is the result of China's selfless, relentless support to Nepal since long time.. Make sure guys, this prevails always🙂🙂

[hk-qnxl]

I'm a foreigner and I live in Nepal as well. While Sabina offers good insight in terms of what's happening here, I would say Nepal for the past couple of years has embarked on the wrong type of development. Nepal has a peg with the Indian Rupee and FX controls, which has caused huge asset bubbles especially (real estate) in Kathmandu which results in bidding up imports from India. This serves India's interest as they manufacture stuff and export it to Nepal for consumption. This policy has hallowed out Nepal's productive base and relies on India for its basic necessity. This is not the type of development a developing/under-develop country needs. Take for example China, it focused on supply driven, in that it developed its industrial and manufacturing base and then focus on consumption. Nepal has focus on consumption side to drive economic development, where dollars flow enriching India and Nepal's industrial/manufacturing base is left to rot.

[中華傲訣]

Perspectives from all angles is the best.

[gunsumwong]

It is noteworthy to point out that Tibetans are well integrated in China to the point more than 50% Tibetans live outside Tibet but in Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and Xinjiang. Tibetans are Chinese. Only the external powers see Tibetans as non-Chinese as they have interest in Tibet and want it seceded from China.
China is a couple of years away to link Nepal with Lhasa by a rail link. This is an important lifeline for the landlock Nepal to trade with the outside world with the rail link to the selected ports already with agreed access.
China is different from other countries. It is big eough to be independent, old enough to be accomodating and wise enough to share future with everybody.

[doroff]

Well done both of you! Learned something new today, thanks to Sabina and Daniel.

[robbierox]

Nepal’s dependency on India has to be brought down to zero level. A good start would be to create jobs for the Gurkhas in Nepal. So that they stop serving in the Indian army. Then move on to taxing the Indian businesses operating in Nepal. Education system should provide options of learning Chinese language as electives in the primary schools.

[zsarimaxim]

That's the root of the territorial disputes China has with India, or rather India has with most of its neighbors, where India believes it has the right to all territories seized by the British from other countries, even territories that were claimed but never controlled by the British.

[dragonjpt]

Being a Nepalese, one thing for sure is Nepal always feel danger from democratic India rather than communist China.... Just bcoz India is a democratic country, its hidden agenda always gets protected and overlooked..The way India annexed Sikkim in 1975, India then had similar plans for Nepal or at least the southern plain of Nepal.. Jus bcoz Nepal heavily rely on India for its basic needs, it's voice has always been unheard

[horley]

Daniel got blocked at Twitter. Unbelievable but not unexpected given his straight talking and refreshing honesty. As a Canadian I applaud your gutsiness. 👍

[hamburgerdr]

Here is my answer to our guest, why religion is so important for those people. It is the only thing they can used to discriminate others.

[outsidewell]

Songtsen Gampo, the first king of unified Tibetan kingdom, married a Nepal princess and then the famous Wenchen Princess of China. Buddha was a prince of Nepal.