US and China compete for Nepali youth with skill programs: It's about who leads the next generation
The United States and China are competing to attract Nepali youth with skill programs following the deadly 2025 Gen Z protests in Nepal. Both nations have almost simultaneously opened applications for youth leadership and skill development programs in Nepal. This is classic long-game geopolitics and a smart move for influence with the future leaders in the Himalayan nation.
Last year's Gen Z protests in Nepal, set off by a short- lived ban on social media and discontent at corruption and economic inequality, led to the resignation of the KP Sharma Oli-led government and the dissolution of parliament. The two-day Gen Z protests in Septemberresulted in 76 deaths and many injuries. Nepal's youth protests have changed the conversation and changed the rules of power. That protest was not just youthful rebellion, but a call for democratic renewal and reinvention.
The programs were rolled out just a couple of months after Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, was sworn in as prime minister after his party scored a landslide victory in the election.
The Chinese Embassy in Nepal recently launched the Chinese Embassy Youth Pioneer Program, an initiative aimed at empowering Nepali youth in the fields of leadership, social service and professional development. The Embassy stated that the program seeks to build a network of transformative thinkers in Nepal.
This initiative targets young professionals, social workers, cultural experts and entrepreneurs. The top-performing participants will get a chance to visit China. The selected youth will have the opportunity to study and experience China's development practices.
The U.S. Embassy in Nepal recently opened applications for The U.S. Embassy Youth Council (USYC) 2026 cohort. The program targets students and young professionals aged 20 to 30. According to its statement, the council strengthens youth engagement by prioritizing career readiness and employability through a structured, skills-based learning approach. It also equips cohort members with practical, market-relevant competencies. The embassy also states that this program has benefited over 700 youth across Nepal since it was founded in 2014.
China and India are intensifying efforts for influence using soft power. India sits in a unique position here, with deep people-to-people ties, open borders, shared culture, history, language and family connections that no exchange program can easily replicate. Yet Delhi cannot take this for granted. Nepal’s new and young political faces are already signaling they will judge partners by results, not history alone.
Nepal should diversify smartly. It should accept useful training from wherever it comes. It should insist on programs that emphasize skills transfer.
Some critics argue not every American or Chinese program is bad. Many participants simply want better skills and will return home pragmatic, not captured. Exposure to different systems can broaden minds. Blanket suspicion of all foreign engagement would be self-defeating.
Still, the great powers court rising generations when they sense shifting power. Nepal’s leaders and its young citizens should treat these overtures with open eyes. They should demand real capacity building, not just branding. They should prioritize reforms that can encourage young Nepalis to stay home. Last year's Gen Z protests have shown what Nepali youth can do when frustrated. They shouldn't allow Nepal to be anyone's playground. Nepali youth, having written history once, should write the next chapter on their own terms.
Brabim Karki is a businessman and writer based in Nepal.