China to conduct survey for transHimalaya railway till Kathmandu

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to begin a six-day visit to China on Tuesday, with the two sides set to reach an understanding on a survey and a detailed project report for the trans-Himalayan economic corridor.

Oli will lead a delegation of more than 100 officials. Several projects related to energy , rail and road connectivity, optical fibre network, and cross-border connectivity are on the agenda. Briefing Parliament on Monday, he said during his visit, an agreement to conduct a survey to bring the Chinese railway network to Kathmandu will materialise.

Officials said China will bear the cost of the survey for the 121-km Kerung-Kathmandu railway line, which will pass through challenging Himalayan topography. After conducting the survey, the exact size of the investment and other features of the railway link will be finalised.

Another key feature of Oli’s visit is Nepal’s response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative — Kathmandu has selected dozens of projects to be discussed with Beijing under the ambitious connectivity initiative.

Officials said Nepal and China are unlikely to sign a transit and transport agreement during the visit. New Delhi has long been concerned about the proposal — if signed, it will end Nepal’s dependence on Indian ports for its third country trade and will pave the way for exports and imports from Chinese land and sea ports.