In a statement on Feb 9, the United States embassy in Nepal described the $700 million that was pledged to the country in an investment deal arranged under the auspices of the US aid agency Millennium Challenge Corporation as "a gift from the American people and a partnership between the two nations that will bring jobs and infrastructure to Nepal and improve the lives of Nepalis".

 

But in telephone conversations with Nepalese leaders on Feb 10, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu told them to endorse the MCC pact by Feb 28 or else Washington would "review its ties with Nepal."

 

As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying noted on Wednesday, when does a gift come packed with an ultimatum－"Is it a 'gift' or Pandora's box?" And judging by the public protests aimed at stopping Nepal's Parliament from endorsing it, many Nepalis have been asking themselves the same question, and have concluded it is the latter.