Miscellaneous
In Nepal, Wang to press China’s peripheral policy
China’s peripheral (neighbourhood) diplomacy is likely to top the agenda during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s Nepal visit.Anil Giri
Thursday with a seven-member delegation on a three-day official visit.
Wang, the first senior-level Chinese official to visit Nepal after the election of the Constituent Assembly last year, is likely to convey to the Nepali leaders, officials, intellectuals and policy makers about the foreign policy of the new Chinese leadership, particularly President Xi Jinping’s vision about China’s neighbourhood.
Diplomatic sources told the Post that Wang will have an overview of the current political situation of Nepal and the chances of timely promulgation of the new constitution. The information would be crucial for Beijing to plan a high-level visit to Nepal next year, possibly by the Chinese president.
Three Chinese teams recently held wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders in Kathmandu with respect to the high-level visit from China as the two neighbours mark the establishment of the 60th year of their diplomatic relations.
Wang is also scheduled to convey the Chinese position of early promulgation of the constitution for Nepal’s peace and stability that also matters China as a neighbour. Officially, he will be meeting President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and his counterpart Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.
At a reception to be hosted by Chinese Ambassador Wu Chuntai on Friday evening, Wang will meet top leaders of major political parties.
According to Foreign Minister Pandey, the Nepali side will seek Chinese investment in energy, infrastructure and other sectors of infrastructure development.
“We will present to them potential areas for investment,” said Pandey, who will hold bilateral talks with Wang on Friday morning.
There is also the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding on China’s new annual aid commitment to Nepal—800 million yuans, more than five times the current 150 million yuans. Chinese investment in Nepal is also on an upward trajectory. “This is Wang’s first foreign visit since President Xi outlined his peripheral [neighbourhood] diplomacy. It shows how important Nepal is for China’s new leadership,” said Dinesh Bhattarai, foreign relations adviser to the PM.
During the visit, China is likely to reassure Nepal its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence as well as Nepal’s development, Bhattarai said. The Chinese side, in turn, could seek reassurance from Nepal for its own security concern, particularly Tibet.
China’s growing might could bring Nepal vast opportunities in expanding trade, investment, tourism, commerce and technology, he said.
After landing in Kathmandu on Thursday afternoon, Wang will attend a lunch at Hotel Dwarika’s and leave for Nagarkot where he will stay overnight.
“The decision to go outside Kathmandu shows that Chinese are serious about tourism promotion in Nepal,” said a senior government official. The number of Chinese visitors to Nepal is growing fast, with a total of 113,000 Chinese tourists visiting the country in 2013,
On Friday, Wang will hand over medical equipment worth Rs 200 million for Civil Service Hospital to Minister for General Administration Lal Babu Pandit. The hospital was built on Chinese assistance. Wang will then hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Pandey and address the media. Wang will then leave for the Armed Police Force headquarters to lay the foundation stone for the APF Academy to be built with Rs 3 billion Chinese grant.
After meeting Koirala at Baluwatar and President Yadav at Sheetal Niwas, Wang will speak on China’s foreign policy in the evening. He will leave for Dhaka, Bangladesh on Saturday.