During Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's visit to China, nine agreements and understandings were reached between the two countries on Tuesday. In addition, China has also announced that it will provide 9 billion rupees in budgetary aid.
After the meeting between Prime Minister Oli and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on Tuesday, various agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed. In a meeting with Prime Minister Oli, Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced that he will provide 500 million RMB (about 9 billion rupees) of aid to Nepal.
"The signed projects will be carried out under BRI," said Yuvraj Khatiwada, economic and development adviser to the Prime Minister, who was involved in the visit, "the assistance announced by the President is separate."
It is said that this amount will be taken by Nepal as budgetary aid. The first agreement between Nepal and China is related to the construction of the Tokha-Chhare tunnel, said Krishna Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to him, a memorandum of understanding regarding Nepal-China trade promotion has also been exchanged.
Exchange of certificate of completion of construction of 9-storey Basantpur Palace, signing of protocol on export of prepared buffalo meat, agreement on development plan, financial and technical assistance, cash assistance, agreement on volunteer Chinese language teachers and agreement on communication technology between Nepal Television and China Media Group (CMG) Signed.
An official in the visiting team of Prime Minister Oli said that the agreement and memorandum of understanding was signed with China only as a project. "It is said that the implementation of these projects will be done under BRI," said the official. There is no mention in the MoU that those projects will be under BRI. The Nepali authorities have not clarified about this.
Nepal submitted a dozen projects to the Chinese authorities to be under the BRI. Out of that, only the Tokha-Chhare tunnel has been agreed upon.
The projects proposed by Nepal for grant are Hilsa-Simkot road, Kimathanka-Khandbari road and bridge, Geelong-Kerung-Kathmandu cross-border railway, Kathmandu-Hetaunda Podway, Amargadhi City Hall, Geelong-Kerung-Rasuwagadhi Chilime 220 kV cross-border transmission line, Kathmandu Valley Transmission Line Upgradation, Madan Bhandari University, Kathmandu Scientific Center and Science Museum, China-Nepal Industrial Friendship Park in Damak and Sports and Athletics Complex in Jhapa.
Prime Minister Oli had a meeting with Chinese President Xi after signing the agreement and memorandum of understanding. There was a discussion between the two of them for about 20 minutes. After the discussion, the Chinese President announced 500 million RMB assistance to Nepal.
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Dhakal informed that there were talks between Xi and Oli on various issues of bilateral relations and interests. President Xi said that China and Nepal are old good neighbors and friends. He also mentioned that there is mutual harmony, respect and cooperation between the two countries. He also said that China will continue to support and support the development and prosperity of Nepal, he said.
According to Dhakal, Xi said that Nepali goods will be made available in the Chinese market more easily and Chinese investors will be encouraged to invest in Nepal. In the
meeting, Oli said that there is mutual understanding and trust between the two countries. Prime Minister Oli praised China for its development and poverty alleviation in a short period of time. "The current government is focused on economic development and transformation with the goal of a prosperous Nepal, happy Nepali," Dhakal said to Kantipur Li Chyang has invited both of them to visit Nepal. Oli has invited Xi to visit on behalf of the President of Nepal, Ramchandra Paudel.
"The Prime Minister invited Chinese President Xi to visit Nepal in 2025 on behalf of President Poudel to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China," said Spokesperson Dhakal. According to him, President Xi thanked Prime Minister Oli for the invitation. "President Xi and Prime Minister Lee have said that they will visit Nepal at an appropriate time," said Dhakal.
Prime Minister Oli has also met with Chinese People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji on Tuesday. Prime Minister Oli arrived in Beijing on Monday evening for a four-day visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li.
Leading an 87-member team, including 39 government representatives and 48 private sector representatives, Oli, who came from a Himalayan Airlines charter plane, was welcomed by Chinese Communist Party Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Beidong at Beijing Capital International Airport.
This is Oli's first bilateral foreign visit since he became the Prime Minister for the fourth time on June 30. He had earlier gone to New York to attend the 79th General Assembly of the multilateral United Nations. Oli will address the program of Peking University on Wednesday. On the same day, he is scheduled to address a program organized by the Nepal-China Business Forum.
