The Nepal Weekly 
April 2, 2024
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who has just returned home after wrapping up eight day official visit to China said that he had held discussion with Chinese officials matters relating to giving final shape to the Built and Road Initiative (BRI) Implementation Plan for its actual implementation.
“An understanding has already reached with China regarding the BRI Implementation Plan during the visit of our Prime Minister to China and talks have moved forward during my visit as per the understanding,” he pointed out. Under the BRI, Nepal is free to select development projects as per its choice, he said. In a question he said “we prefer grant assistance under the BRI but both options including grant and loan are open and the matter will be discussed later after signing the implementation plan.”
Foreign Minister Shrestha, who embarked on an eight day official visit to China from March 25 to April 1, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, returned home on Monday concluding the visit. “My China visit has been successful in further strengthening mutual respect, goodwill and trust between the two countries,” remarked Foreign Minister Shrestha talking to journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival. “I believe that the visit has played an important role in taking the friendly relations existing between Nepal and China to a new height,” said Shrestha.
As Nepal government has already waived visa fee to Chinese tourists coming to the country since 2016, I have also asked government of China to reciprocate by providing free visa to Nepalese travelers, to which the Chinese side has given positive response, Foreign Minister Shrestha said.
“Since China is an important and reliable development partner of Nepal, the northern neighbour assured that it would make available enhanced level of cooperation to Nepal, during my visit,” Shrestha said.
“In order to facilitate effective implementation of past understandings reached between Nepal and China in the past, the two sides have agreed to convene regular meetings of existing mechanisms and to make mutual cooperation further dynamic,” reads a statement issued by Foreign Ministry.
The two sides have taken positive note to resume direct bus services between Kathmandu and Lhasa, the autonomous region of China, said the Foreign Minister.
The two sides have agreed to discuss various aspects of friendly relations between the two countries at higher level on regular basis and to set up a Joint Commission at the level of Foreign Minister involving foreign ministers of Nepal and China.
“I have asked the Chinese side to simplify procedures for export of cooked buffalo meat, haylage, plant based medicinal products, vegetables and other local products from Nepal to China and the Chinese side has assured to provide necessary assistance in this regard,” the Foreign Minister said.
The China government is also positive to provide necessary capital and technical assistance to Nepal for increasing agricultural productivity, he added.
Both the sides have shown interests to further expand connectivity between Nepal and China through expansion of international road network, railway, air-route and electricity transmission lines, Foreign Minister Shrestha said.
We had positive discussion on matters relating to construction of development corridor among Nepal-Tibet-Chhongchhing-Sichuan, he added.
Shrestha said he has requested government of China to make the upcoming Nepal Investment Summit 2024 being held from April 28 to29 in Kathmandu successful through maximum participation of Chinese investors in the summit. “I have called Chinese investors to invest in Nepal during a Pre-investment summit organized by Nepalese embassy in Beijing on March 26, 2024, he pointed out Foreign Minister Shrestha said that he has also asked the Chinese authorities to ease the travel restrictions imposed by China government on foreign tourists visiting Kailash – Mansarovar pilgrimage site located in Tibet via Nepal to boost Nepal’s tourism sector.
