A friend in need

At a 12-bed hospital deep in Nepal's Himalayan mountains, Indian Air Force helicopters bring in the casualties of a devastating earthquake that has killed more than 5,000: injured men, women and children plucked from hilltops and inaccessible valleys.

In the capital Kathmandu, Chinese rescuers in red uniforms have been searching for survivors in the rubble. Television footage yesterday showed one crew pulling a man from the wreckage of a hotel, carrying him gingerly on a stretcher.

Nepal's government has struggled in the wake of the country's worst earthquake in nearly a century, its officials have been largely absent from public view. Not so India and China: both promised rescuers, sniffer dogs, tents and food within hours, winning praise from stranded Nepalis.

"We have no faith in our government, only India and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi are helping us," said villager Dhruba Kandel in Dhading. "If it were not for these helicopters, people would be dying on the mountains by the dozens."

Nepal is sandwiched between India and China and the two Asian giants have used aid and investment to court Kathmandu for years.

China rushed to offer sympathy and assistance on Saturday, and has since said it will provide $3.3 million in aid - the same as the entire European Union.

Modi, whose own country was also hit by the earthquake, was on air within hours of the disaster, and has since promised to "wipe the tears of every Nepali".

But both sides, jostling for pre-eminence in the region, are aware of potential pitfalls and diplomatic dividends.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed," said Mahesh Kumar Maskey, Nepal's ambassador to China, in comments carried by Xinhua news agency.