Kathmandu: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a long history of employing subversive tactics to achieve strategic objectives. In recent years, China has strengthened its bilateral ties with Nepal and leveraged the country’s strategic position to increase espionage activities targeting India. This has raised significant concerns about Beijing's intentions to destabilize India’s growth trajectory and has alarmed other countries bordering China.

The India-Nepal border, stretching over 1,751 kilometers, is one of the most open borders in the world, historically facilitating the free movement of people and fostering robust cultural and economic exchanges. However, the intensifying strategic rivalry between India and China has turned this open border into a conduit for espionage activities.

Multiple incidents in recent years have revealed that Chinese nationals suspected of espionage have entered India through the porous Nepal border or by using fake identity documents from Kathmandu. These activities often involve propaganda efforts to discredit initiatives against Chinese interests, supplemented by honey-trapping tactics where Chinese agents surveil and exploit key individuals to extract confidential information.

Notable cases include the arrest of an Indian journalist along with Chinese and Nepali citizens, highlighting the use of such tactics to gather sensitive information. Recently, a Chinese national was arrested in Bihar, claiming to have entered India through Nepal. Similarly, Delhi police apprehended a Chinese spy disguised as a Tibetan monk, who had been operating in the country using forged Nepali citizenship documents. Investigations revealed that she had entered India through Nepal without legitimate documents.

Chinese intelligence agencies have employed specific methods to further their subversive objectives in India. One prominent method is the recruitment of Nepali nationals as assets and informants. Due to the free movement between Nepal and India, Nepali citizens can cross into India with relative ease compared to Chinese nationals. These individuals are trained and equipped to carry out intelligence-gathering tasks and facilitate the entry of Chinese operatives.

Additionally, these operatives engage in spreading disinformation, inciting unrest, and in some cases, sabotaging critical infrastructure. For instance, Indian agencies uncovered an illegal facility near Delhi run by Chinese nationals who had been brought into the country by Nepali nationals through the porous border. These Chinese nationals facilitated espionage activities targeting influential figures. The racket was exposed when two Chinese nationals, who had traveled through Nepal, were apprehended at the Bihar-Nepal border with unauthenticated documents.

A recent arrest near the Gaurifanta-Nepal border of a Chinese national gathering confidential national security details underscores the growing Chinese espionage activities and the strategic misuse of the India-Nepal border. This incident highlights the significant security challenge posed by the open border, which has historically symbolized close India-Nepal ties but now also represents a vulnerability.

To address these challenges, India must enhance border security and engage diplomatically with Nepal to safeguard its national security interests. The brazen infringement of sovereign rights by China through its espionage activities is a clear modus operandi of the CCP to subvert its neighbors’ growth trajectories.

As regional geopolitics grow increasingly complex, ensuring the security of the India-Nepal border is paramount. By taking proactive measures, India can mitigate the risks posed by Chinese espionage and protect its national security in an era of heightened strategic rivalry.