Everything China, But Nothing From China
Nepal, located just below China, is nothing on its own. Or let me phrase it this way: a beautiful country ruined by sh**hole people.
📍 We're Next to China — So What?
We’re neighbours with China, one of the biggest industrial superpowers in the world. You’d think we’d be leveraging that, right? Nope.
People assume we must have great trade relations with them, given our geographical proximity. But the truth is, our connection to China might as well be a blank wall. Sure, there are some trade ties, but they’re weak — embarrassingly weak — especially compared to how much we bow to our other neighbour, India.
Despite sharing a northern border with China, there’s absolutely no easy or direct way for consumers — or even small businesses — to import products. Everything has to go through a bunch of middlemen. Let alone doing business, even ordering a basic product from China is a pain in the ass.
📦 My Attempt to Import a Controller (And Why I Gave Up)
Let me give you a real example.
A few days ago, I tried to import a Bluetooth controller from AliExpress. The item cost about Nrs. 2000 — not much, right? But the default shipping options like DHL or FedEx were absurd. The shipping alone cost 3–4 times more than the product. I was looking at Nrs. 10,000 total — and that’s excluding taxes. Who in their right mind would pay that for a controller?
So I started looking for alternatives. I found some import companies that bring in items in bulk for local businesses. I reached out, and yes, they offered me a slightly better deal — this time including taxes and local delivery — but the price was still around Nrs. 8000–9000.
As a rational buyer, I wasn’t going to pay 4x the price. So I gave up. Simple as that.
🛣️ The Real Problem: Infrastructure and Indifference
This is where things get infuriating. On the China side, the roads, trade routes, and logistics are solid. But on our side? Completely f***ed up.
Our so called "youth" politicians love to talk big, but they couldn’t care less about fixing actual issues. And the average hypocrite “nefoli” who disses China and its products? They’re wearing, using, or living in Chinese items from head to toe. It’s all talk.
Instead of strategically strengthening our ties with China — whose technological and STEM infrastructure could transform us — we keep sucking up to India. And they’re not doing us any favors either.
💸 Import Systems and Stone Age Bureaucracy
Malaysia and Singapore import Chinese goods with ease. Meanwhile, we, who literally share a border with them, have to go through layers of import agents, customs officials, and greedy commission takers. And forget about importing single items unless you want to pay 3–4x the actual price.
The tax system here? Good luck understanding it.
We’ve got these “custom agents” who take a fat cut and magically clear your goods. Why isn’t this process transparent? Why don’t we have a streamlined online customs platform like other countries? Why are we still stuck in a manual system that feels like it was designed in the 1700s?
Because our politicians are too busy screwing over the system for their own gain. May they rot in hell, if it exists.
🎤 In Conclusion
Nepal could be so much more. But right now? It’s a country full of potential, boxed in by bad governance, broken infrastructure, and a generation of people who either don’t care or actively block change.
We’re geographically lucky — but politically cursed. Until that changes, importing a damn Bluetooth controller from across the border will remain an expensive dream.
Thanks for joining my TED Talk.
This piece is an unfiltered opinion. If it sounds harsh, that’s because reality doesn’t always sound polite.