Nepal’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific: Navigating a Changing Strategic Landscape

This note is published in partnership with The Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) and is avaible on Khabarhub.

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as the most dynamic and contested region of the 21st century.

Encompassing 60 percent of the world’s population and contributing to more than 65 percent of global GDP, it is a powerhouse of innovation, trade, and connectivity. Stretching from the eastern coast of Africa to the western shores of the United States, the Indo-Pacific connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans, two arteries of global commerce and security. Over half of the world’s maritime trade, including oil, gas, and raw materials, flows through these waters, making it the strategic heartbeat of global geopolitics.

For Nepal, though landlocked, the Indo-Pacific is not distant. It is an interconnected reality that influences the country’s economy, diplomacy, and security in ways often overlooked. As new power rivalries unfold across the region, especially between the United States and China, and as frameworks like the QUAD and AUKUS redefine the regional order, Nepal needs a clear and forward-looking outlook on the Indo-Pacific, rooted in its national interests, democratic values, and developmental aspirations.