The visit of the President of friendly country, the People’s Republic of China, a highly anticipated topic in the Nepali diplomatic sector, is materializing today with the arrival here of President Xi Jinping.
This visit will, for sure, take the friendship between Nepal and China to a historic high. But apart from this it is expected to give big boost to the areas of mutual interest and benefits as well. When is the Chinese President visiting Nepal? This was the first question that the Nepali media had been asking the Foreign Affairs Minister and top diplomats of Nepal at least in the last one decade. The visit by the Chinese President was also the topic among the various issues related to Nepal’s diplomacy that was mostly in priority of the Nepali media.
Moreover, this was not only the topic limited to the mass media. It was also a topic of huge interest and talk among the general public. The answer to the question and the public interest is almost coming at the same time ad in the form of two-day state visit of President Xi Jinping on Saturday. President Xi is paying a state visit to Nepal after a long wait. This visit is going to add a new dimension and height to the Nepal-China relation for the first time after 23 years.
Xi Jinping is metaphorically everywhere in Kathmandu at present. The federal capital of Nepal has completed its preparations to welcome the Chinese dignitary with open arms after a long wait of over two decades. Fool proof security is in place and the government has done its home work regarding the agenda that are going to be signed in course of President Xi’s visit. This will be the highest-level visit by a Chinese President ever since then President Jiang Zemin in 1996.
For this reason also, the Chinese President’s visit has generated huge interest and excitement.
For Huang Yinjiaji, a correspondent for the Chinese news agency Xinhua, who arrived Kathmandu three days back for covering President Xi’s visit, this visit will add a new dimension to the relations between the two countries.
“I have taken the coverage of the President’s visit as my historic responsibility in my journalistic career,” she said when this scribe caught her at Chandragiri Hills along with other Xinhua reporters on Friday. According to her, this visit was an important opportunity for both countries.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had started to talk about Chinese railway in Nepal ever since he ascended to power. For this reason also, it is widely assumed that bilateral agreement will be signed regarding the feasibility study and preparing the detailed project report (DPR) of the Kerung-Kathmandu Railway project during this visit. Nepalis have expectation that railway connectivity with China would help to open the way to national prosperity.
Likewise, it is expected that an agreement on cooperation might be reached during President Xi’s visit regarding the construction of road along with Kerung-Kathmandu tunnel way. The Nepalis, who suffered economic blockade time and again and the latest one in 2015 immediately after the devastating earthquake, have been looking to their northern neighbour for second alternative for trade and transit, and for the supply of basic goods as well.
Now it looks like as though the dream of a strong and reliable road and railway connectivity with the northern neighbour on the other side of the Himalaya is going to be materialized. Although the border in the south of Nepal is open and accessible, the physical connectivity with friendly country China in the north has not been much expanded due to the geographical difficulty.
We have not been able to make it easy and smooth as to the connectivity in the south. For this reason also all Nepalis are demanding that connectivity between the two countries should be given emphasis in President Xi’s visit.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s extensive and ambitious project. Nepal is one of the early signatories to BRI like other countries of South Asia that have joined BRI. Nepal signed into BRI on May 12, 2017.
Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, who was the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time of Nepal’s signing the BRI, suggests that Nepal should be able to take benefit from a prosperous neighbouring country like China. Describing the Chinese President’s this visit as historic, he said Nepal should move ahead with a clear programme that is beneficial to Nepal in order to take advantage from BRI. He also opined that connectivity would be the effective bridge in the relations between the two countries.
After Deng Xiaoping, President Xi is known for the development of modern China. Like Deng’s opening up China policy is considered the foundation of the present economic development of China, President Xi’s BRI and the present economic development under his guidance is taken to be the basis for projecting China as one of the global superpowers. China is the world’s second largest economy. It is a big opportunity for us to have such a prosperous country as our neighbour, but how we are to benefit from this opportunity is up to us.
Dr Buddhi Prasad Sharma, an expert on China and researcher associated with Centre for Trans-Himalayan Studies, said: “In a way, China is an ocean of prosperity and opportunity for Nepal. How much water from this ocean we can take depends on our capacity.” Sharma, who is presently teaching in a university in China, described this visit as a historic episode and an opportunity in the relations between the two countries and opined that Nepal should be able to benefit from this. In his view, China always looks at Nepal as a friendly country.
Preparations have been made for signing various key agreements in the high-level meetings that are taking place during President Xi’s visit. Construction of railway is the first priority of the government in those discussions and agreements. Prime Minster KP Sharma Oli has consulted with former Prime Ministers and former Foreign Affairs Ministers in this regard.
News is that railway is the subject of choice of all in course of the consultations. Although the modality of the construction of railway is not clear at this point in time, everybody has kept this in priority. Establishment of the Madan Bhandari University is also on the agenda for bilateral talks. Likewise, working for security at the Tatopani, Rasuwagadhi, Korala, Kimathanka and Lomathang and other border transit points is also in priority.
The topic of concluding the DPR of Kathmandu-Kerung railway within one year and starting the construction of the railway on the basis of mutual understanding also figures in the agenda.
The five economic agenda that the government has prioritized for the high-level bilateral talks during President Xi’s visit include: Kerung-Kathmandu Railway; the development of border transit points along with the Kimathanka-Leguwa, Korala-Palpa and Hilsa-Surkhet roads linking Nepal with China and the construction of Chhahare-Tokha tunnel way for linking Kerung to Kathmandu; improving the Araniko Highway; hydro-electricity development and establishment of the Madan Bhandari Science and Technology University.
The Nepali newspapers have published President Xi’s message on the eve of his visit. In the article, the Chinese President has described Nepal as a good friend of China. President Xi’s this message has given a sense that it has brought the Nepali and Chinese citizens sentimentally more closer.
In his write-up published in the Nepali press today, the Chinese President has stated that Nepal is the first country of choice for the Chinese citizens of destinations in South Asia. He has also mentioned that he was eager to renew friendship with Nepali friends and hold talks on cooperation. All Nepalis wish that the ties between the two countries remain cordial and deeper like President Xi’s sweet expression.by os nepal
