With the signing of the 'Framework for Belt and Road Cooperation' of the 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) during the visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to China (December 2-5, 2024), the strategic partnership between Nepal and China has entered a new phase. .

After many apprehensions, obstacles, delays and drag-and-drops, the progress of BRI with national consensus has brought the relationship between the two countries into a new phase, more for the long-term development of Nepal.

has been found. Now, if it can move forward based on this, the basis has been prepared for Nepal to achieve the practical benefits of the economic progress achieved by its nearest neighbor. China, which has been a partner in Nepal's development since the fifth century, signed seven years ago (May 12, 2017) to participate in the BRI, which has been ambitiously promoted since Xi Qingfeng came to power in 2013, but the doubts and confusions that appeared in the implementation will be removed with the signing of the framework.

The confusion of loan or grant, which used to be like 'egg first or chick first', is now gone. There is no doubt that in principle BRI is a loan project (as the Chinese prefer to call it an investment project). However, it is a diplomatic success that Nepal can make some modifications to it and get China to agree.

After not directly saying that BRI should not be signed under any circumstances, those who hold such a belief and operate according to it, are making theories like 'Nepal cannot take loans, should not fall into a debt trap, should only take grants', China does not accept this and signs BRI. This time their expectation that it will not happen was not fulfilled.

Prime Minister Oli's talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Chyyan and the subsequent joint statement issued after BRI was not included in Nepal's sudden 'concern' well exposed the 'concern', the two countries ended the BRI in a 'win-win' situation by extra intervention from the political level. This has added moral strength to the plans of world power China and has paved the way for economic empowerment of Nepal, which is aspiring for development.

Before the visit to China, the agreement reached between the main parties of the ruling coalition, Congress-UML, and the agreement obtained by Prime Minister Oli by placing the former prime ministers, the effect of building national self-strength to talk to China has been revealed during the Beijing-talks and agreement.

Since foreign affairs are not only a matter of one party or one leader, but a question of common concern of the major powers of the nation, the consensus that has emerged in the context of BRI should become an important guide in the conduct of Nepal's foreign relations. Not only in matters with China, but also in India, America or any other international matter, only the major parties come to an agreement, only the voice of the country will be heard loudly.

The American Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) would not have been stolen so easily if it had not become a weapon of the internal conflict of the then CPN. There was no need to try to hide the pointless shame of 'explanatory comments' by calling back the activists who had taken to the streets while shouting slogans. We have plenty of domestic topics to do

politics, no shortage of topics to criticize and protest against. However, it is necessary to be careful about the effect on the image of the nation as a whole when foreign affairs are made the subject of internal disputes. If the intensive practice started by the Congress-UML this time can be continued on more issues, the path of those who try to pretend that Nepal's political parties do not have a single voice in foreign affairs can be blocked.

There is no need to be swayed by the misinterpretation that Nepal has offered grants (grants) to BRI by agreeing on the 'Technical Assistance and Aid Financing Modality' (Technical Assistance and Aid Financing Modality).

It would be one thing to try to bring a rift between the UML and the Congress by holding on to this one issue, but fundamentally there is no difference between the two parties and it is not necessary to give importance to the expression of leaders who are not affiliated and contracted elsewhere in this process. 

China has not released the large sum promised to grant Nepal. Till 2017, 1.53 billion RMB that China had announced to give to Nepal on various dates could not be mobilized, while in 2018 when the then Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali went to China, not even one billion RMB was announced.

Similarly, the 1 billion RMB announced when President Bidya Devi Bhandari went to China in 2019 and the 3.5 billion RMB announced when Chinese President Xi Jinping came to Nepal in 2019 did not come to Nepal. This amount only  Adding

is about one and a half billion rupees. This time, China has announced a cash grant of 20 million dollars (about 2.7 billion rupees) and 500 million RMB (about 9.34 billion rupees) has been announced by President Xi. Even if Nepal spends all this money on 10 projects listed under BRI, many fruitful works will come out. Even if these works are done by ending the situation of announcing

but not implementing them, China's door is also kept open if Nepal needs to seek loans for big works. Let's say, tomorrow, if Nepal builds the Budhigandaki hydropower project by itself, if it has to find a loan, it can also get a loan from China. The way is kept open if Nepal wants to get a loan from China based on its needs and conditions along with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and other interested countries.

If China's interest rate is even 0.1 percent higher than that of other donors when we borrow in this way, we are free not to borrow from it. Agreeing on the framework is positive so that China cannot say 'Nepal has signed the BRI so it should take my loan'.

This means that there are reasons other than the country's concern behind talking about bringing loans from China, paying interest from today, and now turning Nepal upside down. Because, the loan is not discussed in the bilateral talks nor is it mentioned in any document. Finalizing the BRI framework through diplomatic ingenuity and proper wording, taking into account the basic limitations of the project that will be appropriate, is an achievement for Nepal.

In 2019, when Chinese President Xi visited Nepal, he announced that Nepal and China would upgrade their relationship to a strategic partnership for development and prosperity (Strategic Partnership of Cooperation Featuring Ever-Lasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity), which is now part of Prime Minister Oli's visit. The 12-point joint statement issued at the time is mentioned with importance in the second point.

Nepal's unwavering and continuous commitment to China's basic sensitivities (including Tibet, Taiwan) and China's solidarity with development aspirations while always respecting Nepal's sovereignty has elevated the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership in the political sector, but it has emerged as a strategic partner in terms of development. no

Prime Minister Oli's official visit has increased the confidence that the gap that appeared when China is focusing on BRI and Nepal is confused in its implementation will now be bridged and new cooperation will begin.

Out of the 10 included in the BRI framework, two projects can become models of a truly strategic partnership between Nepal and China: First, the Geelong-Kerung-Rasuwagadhi Chilime 220 kV transmission line can be a 'game changer' project for Nepal, from which Nepal Not only that, China can also benefit. Hydropower is one of the major sectors where Nepal can earn foreign exchange by exporting abroad.

While visiting India, Pushpa Kamal Dahal signed an agreement to sell 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India in 10 years. Besides, he has also informed that India will not buy electricity from Chinese investment and India's policy is the same. Chinese investors are willing to invest in hydropower in Nepal. Recently, there has been a 'financial closure' of 1.2 billion dollars for Marsyangdi project as the largest foreign investment from China.

If we do not open the way for electricity trade to China, our electricity trade will only depend on India, which only buys what it wants. Since India will not buy it, it is not possible to go to Bangladesh. We are familiar with the way India works. For 28 years, the DPR of Pancheshwar project has not been made, since 16 years it has been occupied only by Upper Karnali.

In such a situation, if we do not facilitate the northern route of electricity trade, we will face hydropower blockade. Therefore, not only through Kerung, but also at other possible points, cross-border transmission lines should be built. Also, a Power Development Agreement (PDA) should also be made with China along with the development of facilities.

Second, construction of Geelong-Kerung-Kathmandu cross-border railway opens the northern door of our development. Upgradation of roads up to the border, construction of integrated check posts, facilitation of the border should be done. Apart from that, the construction of Kerung-Kathmandu railway is mandatory to take our relations and trade with China to a new stage. There is a big project, lack of funds, Nepal cannot do it alone. But, sooner or later, Nepal has to be connected with China by railway.

It is not a big deal to build a railway of 72 km for China, which has done a miracle in the development of railways and brought the railway to Sigatse by crossing the harsh mountains of Qinghai-Tibet. Now that it has been listed in BRI, there is hope for railway construction. After the pre-feasibility study was conducted in 2019, this work, which is currently being studied as a feasible plan, should be completed by 2026, and the construction of the Nepal-China railway should proceed.