Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to Nepal for national prosperity

The official visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi from April 28 to 29 is not only expected to take the centuries-old people-to-people relations between the two countries to new heights but is also expected to form Problem-free Nepal-China relations.

The visit, which will be hosted by a Chinese special guest every three years, is expected to be fruitful in further strengthening cooperation and partnership between Nepal and China on issues of traditional friendship, mutual interest and concern. Foreign Minister Wang is a senior diplomat to the Chinese Communist Party. As an old friend of Nepal, he is also aware of the development aspirations of Nepal and Nepalis. His visit is expected to be useful in taking the cooperative relations between the two countries to a new height.

After Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba assumes the leadership of the government, the visit of Foreign Minister Wang, a distinguished person visiting Nepal from China, will be an attempt to promote Nepal's national interest and expand the scope of assistance. The government has made Nepal's national interest and development needs and priorities a priority for partnership and cooperation with China, the world's emerging power.

China has proposed to expand important structures such as ports, roads, railways, air transport and communication within the trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional network to support Nepal's development agenda of making Nepal a middle-income country by 2030 and achieving sustainable development goals by upgrading it from a least developed country. A Foreign Ministry official told RSS that Nepal will hold in-depth discussions with a delegation led by Foreign Minister Wang focusing on the implementation of assistance projects under the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

He said that the Foreign Minister was visiting Nepal to convey the message of China's commitment to implement the BRI Framework Agreement five years after its signing. China has already proposed the project implementation plan of BRI with Nepal for final approval and the Government of Nepal is ready to finalize it during this visit.

During the talks between the Foreign Ministers of Nepal and China on Saturday, the Nepali side requested for joint inspection of the border, which has been blocked for more than a decade, reopening of Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani, major trade ports between Nepal and China, resumption of flights. The official said that Nepal would raise issues including the solution of the problems faced by the enrolled Nepali students, the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal in September 2076 BS and the implementation of past agreements reached during the visit of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to China. Discussions are underway between various ministries of the Government of Nepal to finalize the agenda of the high-level meeting to be held during the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister.

During the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister, an agreement on the export of grass from Nepal will be signed and Nepal will receive additional Chinese grants under technical and financial assistance. Discussions between senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance on the annual assistance to Nepal under a grant and technical and financial assistance have also reached a conclusion, an official of the Ministry of Finance told RSS. The official also said that China has promised to increase its annual aid this year.

The visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister, which is scheduled to take place at the invitation of Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka, did not result in a direct high-level visit and discussion between the two countries after the visit of State Councilor and Minister of Defense Wei Fenghe to Nepal in late November. Such visits from time to time will help in understanding each other and addressing the grievances as well as renewing the relationship. The age-old Nepal-China relationship established by Araniko and Bhrukuti has been flourishing since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1955, while the tradition of friendly cooperation and high-level exchange of visits have further enhanced mutual intimacy.