India-China Border Dispute (Galwan Valley) and Nepal's Sovereignty Concerns

Abstract

The India–China border dispute, epitomized by the violent June (2020) clash in the Galwan Valley, has re-ignited longstanding tensions between two of most powerful states. This article uses the theoretical lens of offensive realism to analyze, how shifts in relative power motivate territorial assertiveness and impact smaller neighboring states, with particular focus on Nepal. By detect the historical transformation of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) inspect recent strategic developments and integrate primary diplomatic communications with secondary scholarly analyses the study reveals the dynamics of great powers competition in South Asia. It argues that China infrastructural expansion and forceful maneuvers in eastern Ladakh pretend an offensive realist drive to attain material gain and strategic advantage. While India’s strengthen of border defenses and diplomatic outreach to his external partners constitute a defensive counterbalancing strategy. Caught between these rival giants, Nepal sovereignty and strategic autonomy are increasingly unnatural by economic dependencies, geopolitical vulnerabilities, and pressures to range. Nonetheless, Kathmandu’s strong matches hedging—through diversified economic engagement, multilateral diplomacy and domestic institutional strengthening offer a measure of durability within a highly competitive regional order. The findings emphasize the continued relevance of offensive realism for understanding, not only territorial conflicts between major powers but also the wooden agency of small states embedded in their shadow. Policy recommendation focus on enhancing crisis-management mechanism, promoting multilateral frameworks to protect small-state interest, and encouraging Nepal further economic diversification to allay dependency risks.