Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha is set to embark on an official visit to Beijing, China’s capital, in the coming days.
Amid the ongoing Boao Forum in Hainan Province, China, uncertainties loom over Nepal’s participation. Yet, Foreign Minister Shrestha has received an invitation from his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, to visit Beijing.
While previous editions of the Boao Forum have seen attendance from heads of state or government, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s absence in last year’s forum, attributed to his visit to India, has left Nepal’s participation uncertain.
Scheduled to depart on March 24, Foreign Minister Shrestha will engage in discussions with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on March 25, coinciding with the ongoing Boao Forum.
Notably, discussions have intensified regarding Nepal’s involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with plans to finalize the implementation agreement. Despite ongoing deliberations at the highest levels, a definitive decision regarding the agreement remains pending.
Nepal initially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the BRI in 2017, yet progress has been sluggish, with no projects initiated under the initiative thus far. Despite selecting nine projects for implementation, formal agreements between Nepal and China have yet to materialize.
After years of negotiation, Nepal’s confirmation of the BRI implementation agreement signals a renewed commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation with China, despite previous setbacks and disagreements over investment terms.
