Protests broke out on March 14 at Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus in Kathmandu, where students publicly burned multiple copies of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China along with related political publications. The act quickly drew international attention.
The demonstration was organized by the Nepal Student Union, the student wing of the Nepali Congress party. According to participants, the protest was aimed at what they described as China’s “border encroachment” in Nepal’s Humla district.
Students chanted slogans calling on Beijing to respect Nepal’s territorial sovereignty and to stop interfering in its internal affairs.
Protesters said the book burning was a direct response to what they see as the Chinese Communist Party’s expanding ideological outreach in Nepal. They expressed concern that political materials entering the country through academic and cultural channels could undermine academic freedom and weaken national identity.
In addition to border tensions, students raised concerns about the transparency of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. They warned that Nepal should remain cautious in its cooperation with China to avoid falling into potential debt traps or losing economic autonomy.
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“We are not just burning paper, we are rejecting external interference,” a student leader told the media at the scene. “Nepal’s sovereignty cannot be violated, whether through force or cultural infiltration.”
Following the incident, the Chinese embassy in Nepal expressed “serious concern” and urged the Nepalese government to take effective measures to protect Chinese institutions and personnel. It also called for an investigation into those involved.
Despite Beijing’s reaction, public sentiment in Nepal remains tense.
Geopolitical analysts note that Nepal, a landlocked country situated between China and India, often reflects broader regional power dynamics through shifts in public opinion. The protest suggests that younger generations in Nepal are becoming increasingly wary of China’s influence.
“This is not just a book-burning incident,” said an unnamed professor at Kathmandu University. “It represents a collective psychological backlash within Nepalese society against external interference. If Beijing continues its hardline diplomatic approach, similar confrontations may become more frequent.”
Authorities have since increased security around the campus to prevent further escalation.
By Tian Jingxin
Editor’s Note: This article is based on media reports from Asian News International (ANI) and Press Trust of India (PTI), as well as statements from protest participants and analysts. Some claims, including allegations related to border disputes and ideological influence, have not been independently verified.
