India's complacency, China's backing drove Nepal to escalate border row

Nepal managed to get the unanimous approval of the lower house of the country's parliament to a new map that included areas controlled by India

The domestic political rumblings in Nepal, its growing aspirations and assertiveness flowing from China's strong economic backing and India's "complacency" in engaging with it made the Himalayan nation take the unprecedented step of escalating its decades-old border row with India to a new level, strategic affairs experts said on Sunday.

The communist government of Nepal led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Saturday managed to get the unanimous approval of the lower house of the country's parliament for a new map that includes areas controlled by India.

The vote, notwithstanding the all-encompassing cultural, political and trade ties of