Amid growing global tension, FM Khadka pays a visit to China
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Narayan Khadka is returning home on Thursday after concluding his three-day visit to China.
Minister Khadka had left for China on Tuesday for a 3-day visit.
It was Khadka’s first entourage to China at the invitation of Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Minister for Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed in a statement on Tuesday. The two ministers held delegation-level bilateral talks, leading their respective delegations on August 10 in Qingdao, China.
Minister Wang hosted Dr. Khadka and his South Korean counterpart Park Jin on Wednesday. Khadka’s was the first high-level visit to the northern neighbour for the first time since the formation of the present government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba about a year ago. The visit also coincides with the escalating tensions between the United States of America and China following the visit of the US House Speaker, Nanci Pelosi, to Taiwan.
Before the visit of the Foreign Minister Dr. Khadka, the MoFA reiterated Nepal's adherence to the 'One China Policy' which considers Taiwan to the part of China. Nepal's government and political leaders have time and again assured China of this policy.
Since this is the first foreign minister-level visit from Nepal to China after Nepal accepted the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)'s Nepal Compact Project, which is widely believed to have displeased China. However, Nepal rejected the State Partnership Programme (SPP) of the USA. The visit was expected to make clear Nepal’s stand on the controversial visit of the US Speaker to Taiwan and the acceptance of MCC by Nepal.
The MoFA has maintained that the visit is expected to further strengthen the mutual trust between the two good neighbours and partners in development. Earlier, in March this year, Minister Wang had concluded a threeday visit to Nepal and met President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and leaders of the parties in ruling coalition and opposition.
During his visit, Nepal and China signed a nine-point agreement including the projects such as conducting the feasibility study of cross-border power grid connection, agreement for economic and technical cooperation for the feasibility study of the inter-country railway project, maintenance of Arniko Highway (third phase), and cooperation in the railway sector. They have also agreed on facilitating Nepali products to China and vaccine support.
Nepal has signed the Belt and Road Initiative – a dream project of Chinese President Xi Jinping that aims to build regional infrastructure along the ancient Silk Route to boost trade and development. Nepal wants some large infrastructure projects such as the transHimalayan railway project, KathmanduLumbini Railway and other facilities. Meanwhile, Nepal also desperately wants China to open and fully operationalise its border with Nepal. While imports from China are ever-growing, exports have been continuously diminishing since the advent of COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019.