UNDER CHINA'S SHADOW: NEPALI MEDIA UNDER BEIJING'S CONTROL

“Beijing has effectively seized control of media operations in Nepal, ensuring a stark absence of critical coverage regarding its investments in the Himalayan nation, encroachments on Nepalese land, and political machinations in Kathmandu.

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Negative narratives concerning the Dragon’s activities remain conspicuously absent from mainstream media outlets, painting a distorted picture shielded from public scrutiny.

The only few pockets of resistance that remain standing, so to speak, are local newspapers and magazines.

In addition to sanitizing coverage of China’s interference in Nepal’s strategic affairs, territorial encroachments, and debt-laden investments in Kathmandu, Beijing has orchestrated a concerted media campaign targeting Delhi and Washington. By deflecting attention away from its own actions, Beijing has effectively steered the narrative to cast shadows over other geopolitical players.

Sources in Nepal, speaking to the Sunday Guardian, revealed that the manipulation of media escalated notably during the tenure of Hu Yong, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal from November 2016 to December 2018. Substantial efforts in this regard continued under her successor, the enigmatic Hou Yanqi, who served until November 2022. Numerous voices in Kathmandu allege that Hou Yanqi, far from being a conventional diplomat, operated more as a member of the Chinese Communist Party, exerting significant influence over media affairs.

According to local officials and journalists, Beijing used three tools at its disposal to influence the reportage in Nepal.