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Some Nepalis Uneasy Over Influx of Chinese Language Teachers

Yeshi Dorje

   Plans for 100 Chinese language teachers to arrive in Nepal are causing
   uneasiness among some Nepali and international experts, who see it as a
   neocolonial bid by China to exert greater control over its Himalayan
   neighbor.

   The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported this week on the plan, which
   coincides with a high-profile visit to the country last weekend by
   Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reports said the goal is to have the
   Chinese language taught in every public school in Nepal.

   The paper quoted government officials saying wider use of Chinese will
   help the economy by attracting more Chinese tourists. But not everyone
   is convinced.

   Kapil Shrestha, a professor of political science at the University of
   Nepal, sees a parallel to the period of British colonial rule in India,
   Nepal's other neighbor.

   "Why did the British try to popularize English in India in 18th and
   19th century?" Shrestha asked in an interview with VOA. "China is
   trying to popularize the Chinese language, which has long-term
   implications for Nepal."

   Sumit Ganguly, a South Asia expert and professor at Indiana University
   in the United States, is also skeptical about the plan.

   "I think the Nepalese elite should understand what's going on. This is
   clearly an attempt by China to extend its tentacles into Nepal,"
   Ganguly told VOA.

   There are already 85 private and public schools offering
   Chinese-language courses in Nepal, according to the Kathmandu Post.
   Some private schools have made Chinese language studies compulsory, but
   in most cases the teaching is coordinated by Chinese-sponsored
   Confucius Institutes.

   The Chinese government also encourages Nepali students to study in
   China, providing each student with $360 a month for living expenses,
   according to the Nepali Times newspaper. It said 6,400 Nepali students
   flew to China to study in 2017, the last year for which the figures are
   available.

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