Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday, marking his first trip to the neighboring superpower since his party's election victory in March.
The meeting comes days after Khanal visited India, China's regional rival, and follows the ousting of a Communist Party-led coalition government in Beijing's backyard.
Analysts say this presents a conundrum to Chinese diplomats, who have been working to shore up ties with neighboring nations while reasserting claims in the East and South China Seas.
Wang Yi stated that China has always placed Nepal at the forefront of its 'neighbourhood diplomacy' and will support Nepal in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Nepal's ties to South Asian power India give the country a degree of leverage over China, putting Beijing in the unfamiliar position of having to prove its worth.
China has lent Nepal around $310 million, while India has extended $280 billion in loans, and Chinese firms have invested $1.12 billion in the country's energy and real estate sectors.
