China defends entry restriction to Nepali students, goods

Kathmandu, Jan. 14

The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, said the other day that it noticed reports on Nepali students' getting trouble while returning to China to complete their studies, and the northern neighbour encroached Nepali land, and imposed a blockade on Nepal.

Issuing a statement, it reiterated that the Chinese side opened one-way cargo transportation to Nepal by overcoming great difficulties and has continuously enhanced the ports' cargo handling capacity. According to the embassy, this has played an important role in ensuring the supply of anti-pandemic and livelihood materials in Nepal.

It also claimed that since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided Nepal with a large amount of medical materials, including vaccines and liquid oxygen, which has strongly helped Nepal withstand the impact of the pandemic.

"At present, the fluctuating pandemic has caused difficulties in personnel and material exchanges among countries around the world, including China and Nepal. The top priority for all countries is to unite to fight against the pandemic and jointly defeat it," read the statement.

It also pledged to work with Nepal to overcome the present difficulties and make efforts to restore the economy and normal personnel exchanges.

Likewise, the embassy reiterated that the two countries had resolved the boundary issue through friendly consultations as early as the 1960s, and there is no dispute at all.

Meanwhile, Nepali students are complaining in the social media that many of them have stuck in Nepal and are unable to return to various Chinese cities to continue with their higher education.

Similarly, the business community has long been complaining that it was difficult to trade with China after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the statistics of the Department of Customs, in the first five months of the current Fiscal Year 2021/22, about 15 per cent of the total imported goods were from China while export to the northern neighbour is just 0.37 per cent.

Nepal imported goods worth Rs. 122.19 billion from China in five months but exports to the latter is of just Rs. 381 million. With this Nepal is witnessing the trade deficit of Rs. 121.8 billion. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 January 2022.