PM's China visit should focus on trilateral partnership: Experts

Kathmandu, Mar. 21: During his six-day visit to the People’s Republic of China, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda should focus on implementing the agreements signed between China and Nepal during the visit of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and on the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, experts suggested Tuesday.

PM Prachanda is flying to China on Thursday to participate in the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017, being held in Hainan Province of China.

“This is only a goodwill visit of the PM to China. Therefore, there are less chances of signing any new agreements. However, PM Prachanda should at least reiterate Nepal’s commitment to the past agreements signed with the northern neighbour and urge for the speedy implementation of those accords,” said Tanka Karki, former ambassador to China.

During Oli’s visit to China last year, the two neighbours agreed to conclude a commercial deal on petroleum supply.  

The two countries agreed on opening the Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagadhi Highway, establish border cooperation zones, developing protocol for a Transit Transport Agreement, starting joint feasibility study of China-Nepal Free Trade Agreement, supporting tourism promotion activities and opening branches of Chinese funded banks in Nepal.

Karki said that although Chinese Premier Li Keqiang would be on a foreign trip during PM Dahal’s visit, the latter could put forth Nepal’s views on those matters.

Former Nepalese ambassador to Russia Hiranya Lal Shrestha said that the visit should concentrate on taking the bilateral relations between the two countries to a new height, and the PM should at least discuss the issues of OBOR and Transit and Transport Protocol.

Nepal is a founder member of the Boao Forum.

Government leaders, businessmen and academia from Asia and other continents attend the Forum to share their vision on pressing issues in the region and the world.

Former ambassador to India Suresh Raj Chalise suggested that the PM should talk about trilateral partnership during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He said that China might raise the agenda of OBOR, which Nepal should support.

OBOR is a strategy to develop transportation infrastructure connecting Europe and Asia, with its primary focus on connectivity and cooperation among the countries in the region.

Proposed by Chinese President Xi Xinping in 2013, it is also known as Belt and Road, Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt or the 21^st-century Maritime Silk Road.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also has been promoting the idea in Europe and Asia during his state visits.

OBOR will connect about 60 countries which lie on the ancient silk route in Central Asia, West Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It also includes Oceania and East Africa.

“But in my view, the most important issue is the militarisation of the region. China, the United States, Japan and India all are raising military expenditure, which is a matter of serious concerns for countries like Nepal. Therefore, Nepal should stress on demilitarising the region,” said Chalise.