中國將向尼泊爾供應130萬升汽油

China is to supply fuel to its impoverished neighbour Nepal for the first time, amid a halt in Indian supplies that has severely disrupted life in the mountainous country still struggling to recover from April’s devastating earthquake.

中國將首次向貧困鄰國尼泊爾供應燃料。尼泊爾正努力從4月破壞力極大的地震中恢復，而印度中斷燃料供應嚴重影響了這個山地國家的生活。

Nepali officials flew to Beijing on Monday to negotiate the terms of the petroleum purchase deal, which will in effect end the longstanding role of India’s state-owned Indian Oil Company as Nepal’s monopoly fuel supplier.

尼泊爾政府官員週一飛抵北京，商討汽油購買協議的條款，這實際上將結束印度國有企業印度石油公司(Indian Oil Company)作爲尼泊爾壟斷性燃料供應商的長期地位。

Nepali government officials have said the initial transaction will lead to China providing 1.3m litres of fuel, but analysts suggest it could evolve into a long-term arrangement that would end Nepal’s dependence on India.

尼泊爾政府官員表示，初始交易是中國將提供130萬升汽油，但分析人士表示，這可能會變成一項長期安排，將結束尼泊爾對印度的依賴。

The deal comes as Nepal and its 28m people face crippling fuel shortages amid severe disruptions to supply from India. “Nepal is reeling,” Kanak Mani Dixit, publisher of Kathmandu-based Himal Southasian magazine, told the Financial Times. “The hospitals don’t have oxygen. The ambulances don’t have gasoline and the roads are empty. All industry has come to a standstill.”

此際，由於來自印度的供應中斷，尼泊爾及其2800萬人民正面臨嚴重的燃料短缺。“尼泊爾正步履蹣跚，”加德滿都Himal Southasian雜誌發行人凱納克氠尼迪克西特(Kanak Mani Dixit)告訴英國《金融時報》，“醫院裏沒有氧氣。急救車上沒有汽油，路上空無一車。所有行業都陷入停滯。”

New Delhi denies imposing a deliberate fuel blockade on its poorer neighbour, blaming the disruption on the unwillingness of Indian truckers to pass through parts of Nepal where residents are protesting sometimes violently against a recently adopted constitution.

印度否認故意對其較窮鄰國實施燃料封鎖，將供應中斷歸咎於印度卡車司機不願通過部分尼泊爾地區，這些地區的民衆正抗議（有時抗議相當猛烈）最近實施的一部憲法。

But after nearly a month of fuel and cooking gas shortages, most Nepalis believe the crisis is the result of New Delhi seeking to force the country to change the document.

但在遭遇燃料和廚房燃氣短缺近一個月後，多數尼泊爾人認爲，這場危機是印度試圖迫使尼泊爾更改憲法的結果。

“India is trying to blunderbuss its way to forcing Nepal to be a client state and do its bidding so the Indian state can get what it wants,” said Mr Dixit. “But India must understand it is playing with fire.”

“印度試圖通過粗暴的方式迫使尼泊爾成爲附屬國並聽其號令，這樣印度就能得其所願，”迪克西特表示，“但印度必須明白它在玩火。”

Nepal’s constitution crafted after more than nine years of tortuous negotiations was adopted in September with a two-thirds majority of Nepal’s elected constituent assembly. But it has been criticised by members of the Madhesi community, which lives in Nepal’s plains, accounts for 32 per cent of the total population and has close ethnic, cultural and social ties with people from the adjacent regions of India.

今年9月，在經過9年多的漫長談判後，經過選舉產生的尼泊爾制憲會議以三分之二多數票通過了一部憲法。但這部憲法遭到了馬德西族裔的批評，他們生活在尼泊爾平原地區，佔該國總人口的32%，與來自鄰近的印度地區的人們有着緊密的民族、文化和社會聯繫。

Many Madhesi politicians are aggrieved that the plains home to about half of Nepal’s population, including people from other ethnic communities were not designated as a distinct province but divided into parts of multiple provinces. Madhesis have seen this drawing of state boundaries as a plot to weaken their political influence.

讓很多馬德西政治人士感到不滿的是，這些平原地區沒有被單獨列爲一個邦，而是被分成多個邦。這些平原地區的人口約佔尼泊爾總人口的一半，包括來自其他族裔的人。馬德西人將這種劃分邦府界線的做法視爲一場陰謀，目的是削弱其政治影響力。

New Delhi has not called publicly for any particular changes, but has urged Nepal to find a “mutually acceptable solution” that will satisfy all parties.

印度沒有公開呼籲某項憲法改革，但印度敦促尼泊爾找到讓各方滿意的“互相認可的解決方案”。

The tension between Kathmandu and Delhi is an unfortunate turn in a relationship that was poised for strong improvements a year ago, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian premier in 17 years to visit Kathmandu. India won many hearts with its rapid rescue and relief efforts after the earthquake.

尼泊爾與印度之間的緊張是雙方關係的一個不利轉折，一年前，兩國關係曾出現巨大改善，當時印度總理納倫德拉莫迪(Narendra Modi)成爲17年來首位訪問尼泊爾的印度總理。在尼泊爾大地震後，印度的快速救援和賑災措施贏得了很多尼泊爾人的心。