Parliament heated up on Thursday as lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh accused Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of violating Nepal’s long-standing non-aligned foreign policy during his recent visit to China. Speaking in the House of Representatives, Singh highlighted stark contradictions between the two governments’ official press releases, pressing Oli for a direct explanation. “Nepal’s statement mentions Lipulekh but avoids any reference to the Global Security Initiative (GSI). China’s version, meanwhile, drops Lipulekh but highlights GSI. So, has Nepal become part of China’s security strategy?” Singh asked.

The dispute has raised alarm among diplomats and citizens alike. Nepal, historically a champion of the Non-Aligned Movement, could face long-term diplomatic consequences if formally aligned with Beijing’s global security architecture. Singh urged the Prime Minister to clarify to both Parliament and the public whether Nepal’s sovereignty is being compromised.

Prime Minister Oli returned to Kathmandu on Wednesday after a five-day visit to China. His schedule included participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, attendance at a military parade marking Japan’s World War II surrender, and separate meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Critics say his participation hints at a dangerous tilt toward power bloc politics, while Oli’s allies defend the trip as a necessary step in strengthening strategic cooperation.

So far, Oli has not delivered a detailed response in Parliament, and the government’s official stance is still awaited. Meanwhile, social media is ablaze with debate: can Nepal preserve its independent foreign policy, or is it slowly being pulled into the orbit of competing global powers?

Nepal’s diplomacy once again stands at a crossroads—whether the legacy of non-alignment still holds firm, or whether Oli’s China visit marks the beginning of a dramatic new shift.