Nepal has urged China to reopen the 14 traditional border points with the Tibetan Autonomous Region not just for bilateral trade and commerce but for the movement of people too.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha also underscored the importance of exporting products from Nepal during a meeting with Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of China.

Mr. Shrestha, who is on his first visit to China after taking over office earlier in the month, was in Lhasa on Friday as part of his trip from March 25 to April 1 when he also urged the Chinese side for its cooperation to address issues facing the residents along the Nepal-China borders.

A press release from the Consulate General of Nepal in Lhasa said that Mr. Shrestha, during the meeting, reiterated the need for reopening of traditional border points for the promotion of trade and commerce as well as facilitating the movement of people.

He sought cooperation to make arrangements for the use of pastureland along the bordering areas, to provide entry passes for Nepali containers and electrification in Nepal’s highlands, according to the MyRepublica news portal.

He recalled an agreement to resume 14 Nepal-China traditional transits during his meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing two days ago and expected the facilitating role on behalf of Tibet’s administration to implement the understanding.

Mr. Shrestha also called on the Chinese side to make provisions for resuming the Kathmandu-Lhasa bus service, the report said.

He also underscored the importance of exporting products, including Haylage, cooked buffalo meat, and medicinal herbs among others to further strengthen economic cooperation.

Haylage is a type of nutritious animal feed.

“The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs further expressed the need to cooperate in the areas of infrastructure and connectivity including the transmission lines to further strengthen the bilateral ties,” The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported, quoting the statement.

The two leaders also discussed matters relating to expanding socio-economic cooperation, enhancing understanding and goodwill through high-level exchanges, consolidating the ongoing cooperation and exploring new areas of cooperation.

“Both the leaders discussed matters of mutual interest,” reiterated a post on X along with a photo by Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs late on Friday night after the meeting.

Earlier on March 26, the strategic partnership between the two countries was discussed during Shrestha’s meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang where China has also urged the new dispensation in Nepal to finalise the implementation plan for its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects that have struggled to make any headway due to continuous political changes in the Himalayan nation.

Posting about the meeting on social media platform X, Ambassador Chen Song, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, said: “The two sides agreed to reopen 14 traditional border trade points immediately, strengthen practical cooperation between two counties in such fields as trade, investment, tourism, and advance the bilateral relations to a new height.” Shrestha is also expected to visit the holy pilgrimage site of Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet during his visit, it was announced earlier last week.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, centre, waves as he was welcomed by young performers upon his arrival in Hangzhou, China on September 23, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

China and Nepal on September 25 signed 12 agreements, including seven MoUs, to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors including trade and road connectivity coinciding with the visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” amid reports that he was not inclined to sign up Beijing’s new security doctrine.

Mr. Prachanda who met President Xi Jinping two days ago on the sidelines of the Asian Games in Hangzhou travelled to Beijing where he held wide-ranging talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday during which they comprehensively reviewed the bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the close and cordial ties, according to a press release issued by the Nepal embassy in Beijing.

The two sides exchanged views on the ways to further strengthen and consolidate the mutual understanding and cooperation and give a new impetus to the economy, trade and people-to-people contacts, it said.

Reports from Kathmandu said Mr. Prachanda was sidestepping China’s pressure to welcome Mr. Xi’s new doctrines, the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and its Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI).

Before leaving for China’s Hangzhou, in an interview in New York with Kantipur daily, Mr. Prachanda had categorically denied the chances of Nepal joining a security-related alliance, The Kathmandu Post reported on Monday.

Speaking in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during the interview, the prime minister stated that China is initiating the GSI, the GCI and the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and among these, there is no hesitation to participate in the GDI.

“But we cannot wade into security-related issues. It is our stated policy not to be under the umbrella of any side. Ours is a non-aligned foreign policy. On the other hand, we are saying the American Indo-Pacific Strategy and State Partnership Program are part of security initiatives. If we are not taking part in one initiative [IPS, SPP], we cannot join others too,” Mr. Prachanda said.

The GSI, GDI and GCI were conspicuously missing from the official Chinese media account of the Li-Prachanda talks.

Mr. Li told Mr. Prachanda that China will, as always, firmly support Nepal in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and taking a development path that suits its national conditions, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Mr. Li said that China is ready to work with Nepal to continuously improve connectivity at ports, roads, railways, aviation, telecommunications and electricity, accelerate the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, and help Nepal, a landlocked country, upgrade connectivity with neighbouring countries as soon as possible.

Mr. Prachanda, who politically distanced from the pro-China Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) headed by K.P. Oli after becoming Prime Minister in December last year, made his maiden visit to China after visiting India and the U.S.

Following the official bilateral talks, 12 agreements were signed between the two countries, the Nepalese embassy said.

The agreements include an MoU for Cooperation between The National Planning Commission of Nepal and China’s National Development and Reform Commission; an MoU on enhancing digital economy cooperation; an MoU related to cooperation on green and low-carbon development; and an MoU on cooperation in the field of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, the release said.

The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group for the review and modification of the Nepal-China trade and payment agreement.

They also signed a protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of plant-derived medicinal materials for Chinese medicine from Nepal to China.

China and Nepal also signed MoUs on the Hilsa-Simkot Road Project and the Nepal-China Power Grid Interconnection Project (Chilime-Kerung).

The other agreements include cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation; and in the field of Human Resources Development, the release said.

Mr. Prachanda also met with National People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji during which they focused on further broadening the historical ties between Nepal and China and promoting exchange of high-level visits, it said.

Mr. Prachanda has directly flown to China from New York, where he addressed the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Kathmandu:

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Sunday said that his country wants to enhance the economic partnership with China for mutual benefits.

“As a close neighbour, it is but natural for Nepal to desire for enhanced economic partnership with China for mutual benefits,” Prachanda said while addressing a meeting with Chinese Business Enterprises in Beijing.

“There are so many enabling factors anchored in close affinity and geographical proximity of both the two countries that need to be utilized to promote mutually beneficial cooperation,” said Prachanda, according to sources at the Prime Minister’s secretariat.

Being close friends and trusted partners, Nepal and China enjoy close, deep-rooted and multifaceted bilateral relations, which are based on the principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, said the prime minister, who is currently on an official visit to China.

Prachanda, who politically distanced from the pro-China Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) headed by KP Oli after becoming Prime Minister in December last year, made his maiden visit to China after visiting India and the US.

“Our relations exemplify how two neighbours of different geographical size, populations and levels of development can be trusted friends and partners. These relations, guided by immense goodwill, mutual respect, shared aspiration and appreciation of each other’s concerns, have ever been growing on many fronts of mutual interest,” he added.

“Nepal is making continued efforts to facilitate trade and find ways particularly to increase its exports to China. This can be done by enhancing Nepal’s productive capacity, improving physical infrastructure and making the quality certification mechanism more robust,” he said.

The export of Nepali products such as tea, herbal medicine, citrus food, buffalo meat, coffee, ginger, and yarn to China has great potential and should, therefore, be prioritized, said Prachanda. “We need to reduce technical barriers and ensure preferential treatment of these products.” On Saturday, Prime Minister Prachanda had one-on-one and delegation-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Had a fruitful meeting with Xi Jinping, President of PR China. We exchanged views on a range of issues of bilateral relations and cooperation in our mutual interests. We agreed to collaborate closely and advance Nepal-China relations to strengthen ever-lasting friendship,” Prachanda said in a post on platform X after the meeting.

Prachanda has directly flown to China from New York, where he addressed the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations.

The Prime Minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister N P Saud and other senior officials during his official visit to China. Prachanda will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on September 25. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)