By Modnath Dhakal
Kathmandu, Nov. 29: State Councilor and Defense Minister of China Wei Fenghe is paying a one-day visit to Nepal on Sunday, November 29.
This is the highest level visit from the northern neighbour after President Xi Jinping’s two-day state visit in October last year.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement on Saturday that Wei will pay courtesy calls on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who also holds the portfolio of Defense Minister.
He is also scheduled to meet Chief of Army Staff General Purna Chandra Thapa. Although the ministry had not informed about the agenda to be discussed during his visit, bilateral relations, economic cooperation and COVID-19 support are said to be the major issues while progress of the bilateral projects might also get an entry to the deliberations. The visit of the Chinese Head of the State in 2019 had happened after a gap of 23 years.
During the visit, both the neighbours had agreed to intensify cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to enhance connectivity by developing railways, roads, ports, aviation and communication. Nepal has been expressing strong support to the Chinese mega-project BRI since its announcement by President XI in 2013. Nepal and China had also agreed to expedite the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to enhance connectivity under the framework of Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, a project under the BRI. Nepal wants development support and economic cooperation from the north as well as more tourists and investments. Trade cooperation is also a top agenda between them.
China has agreed to conduct feasibility study of the Keyrung-Kathmandu Railway Project and Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini Railway Project, which are the results of the MoU signed in June 2018 on Cooperation in Railway Project.
Due to difficult mountain terrain in the north, the trade and movement of people have been difficult. The two border points – Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani – had been shut for many months after the advent of the COVID-19 which caused a lot of suffering in the part of Nepali traders and entrepreneurs.
China is supporting Nepal in infrastructure development at the border entry point. It is constructing a dry port in Timure at the Rasuwagadhi border while the dry port built at Larcha, Tatopani, has come into operation. The northern neighbour has also agreed to upgrade the Syaphrubensi-Rasuwagadhi road, and Arniko Highway and pledged support in developing Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali road corridors. These road projects create connectivity between China and India.
However, Nepal’s trade with China has become mostly one dimensional as the latter has become the second larger exporter to Nepal and 12th largest importer. The trade deficit with China is ever increasing.
Wei’s visit happens in the immediate aftermath of the visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla who concluded his two day visit to Nepal on Friday evening. He was in Kathmandu for the foreign-secretary level meeting that discussed various bilateral agenda including boundary issues.
Speaking at a function in Gulmi, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali termed Shringla’s visit a successful one and said that soon there would be a visit of foreign affairs minister from India. Wei will leave Kathmandu in the evening on Sunday.