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 Chi