KATHMANDU, Dec 22: A day after China’s Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song bade farewell ahead of his departure to Beijing, the US has also recalled its envoy from Kathmandu, with US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R. Thompson among 29 career diplomats being called back as the Trump administration moves to reshape Washington’s diplomatic posture abroad.
According to the Associated Press (AP) report, Ambassador Thompson is among the career ambassadors whose tenures are set to end in January as part of a broader review aimed at ensuring senior diplomatic personnel align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities. Chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed of the decision last week, two State Department officials said on condition of anonymity.
The report said all the ambassadors affected by the move were appointed during the Biden administration and had initially survived an early round of recalls that largely targeted political appointees during the first months of Trump’s second term. That changed last week, when they began receiving formal notices from Washington regarding their imminent departures.
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The US State Department, the AP reported, declined to comment on the specific ambassadors affected but defended the reshuffle, describing it as “a standard process in any administration.” It noted that an ambassador is “a personal representative of the president” and that the president has the right to ensure envoys advance his policy agenda.
Africa has been the most affected by the recalls, with ambassadors from 13 countries removed, followed by Asia, where six countries—including Nepal—are affected. Nepal and Sri Lanka fall under South and Central Asia, where two ambassadorial changes have been announced, according to the report.
The near-simultaneous departures of the Chinese and US ambassadors mark a notable moment in Kathmandu’s diplomatic landscape, coming amid shifting global alignments and renewed great-power competition in South Asia. The development also coincides with a period of significant political transition in Nepal as the country prepares for parliamentary elections on March 5, 2026 following the Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9.
Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the US has yet to officially communicate the Trump administration’s decision. The Chinese side, however, has already informed Kathmandu of the departure of its envoy. Ambassador Chen has already paid farewell call on PM and other officials.
US Ambassador Thompson presented his credentials to then-President Bidya Devi Bhandari on October 21, 2022. A member of the US Senior Foreign Service, he has more than 28 years of experience in American diplomacy.
The news about the recall of US envoy comes just a day after Chinese Ambassador Chen Song addressed a farewell ceremony in Kathmandu on Sunday, describing himself as a “lifelong friend” of the Nepalese and Chinese people after completing his three-year term. Chen is scheduled to depart Nepal on Wednesday.
Chen arrived in Kathmandu on January 8, 2023, to take up his diplomatic assignment. Prior to his tenure in Nepal, he served as a deputy director general in the Asian Department of China’s foreign ministry. Sources said he is leaving Kathmandu following his promotion to director general in the same department.
