Although the ruling Congress and UML have reached a common understanding on the projects and investments to be carried out under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), they have not yet agreed on the structural concept of the agreement.

Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba has left for China to prepare for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit on Thursday, as no agreement was reached between the two parties.

The Congress party believes that the title of the ‘BRI Implementation Plan’ proposed by China should be revised and renamed as the ‘BRI Cooperation Framework.’ In support of this, the Congress had already submitted a draft to Prime Minister Oli that emphasized connectivity, economic cooperation, and infrastructure.

According to a Congress leader, the UML wants to move forward by amending the content of the proposal sent by China while keeping the title unchanged. Prime Minister Oli is of the opinion that the Chinese side will not accept the draft as prepared by the Congress.

With Prime Minister Oli’s visit approaching and Foreign Minister Rana having left for China to prepare, Congress and UML are set to make a final decision on the BRI issue by Friday.

Leaders have expressed that if no agreement is reached, Foreign Minister Rana may face difficulties discussing the agenda with Chinese officials in Beijing. “We agree on the content,” said a UML leader, adding that the challenge remains in finalizing the draft to be acceptable to the Chinese side.

The two parties have agreed to focus on projects that have not yet progressed despite past Chinese commitments, and to pursue certain projects with subsidies. They have also agreed not to take loans under the BRI. “The only issue left is whether to keep the title as ‘BRI Implementation Plan’ proposed by China or to refer to it as the ‘BRI Cooperation Framework,’ as suggested by the Congress,” said a UML leader.

The leaders of both parties have been conducting intensive discussions for the past few days. A lengthy meeting was held on Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Baluwatar, involving the leaders from both parties. Present were Yuvraj Khatiwada, economic and development adviser to the Prime Minister from UML; political adviser Vishnu Rimal; and general minister Gagan Thapa from Congress. Advocate Semant Dahal was also invited for technical support. However, since no consensus was reached on the structural concept, another meeting is planned for Friday. “We aim to agree on whether the title of the document to be negotiated will be the ‘BRI Implementation Plan’ or the ‘BRI Cooperation Framework,'” said a working group member.

Officials from China and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the BRI in 2017. Since then, China has been urging Nepal to agree to the ‘BRI Implementation Plan’ to advance the project, a request that has been reiterated since 2020. No projects have yet started under the BRI in Nepal.

Both parties have agreed to propose about a dozen projects to China under the BRI. These include upgrading the Kathmandu-Rasuwagadhi road, constructing a tunnel from Tokha in Kathmandu to Chhare in Nuwakot, developing infrastructure at the Korla border in Mustang, building Madan Bhandari University, constructing a sports stadium in Dadeldhura, developing a park in Jhapa, expanding the Simkot-Hilsa road, and the Galchi-Rasuwagadhi transmission line, as well as several hydropower projects.

Before Foreign Minister Rana meets with her Chinese counterpart, both parties aim to reach an agreement. Once the working group agrees on a draft, it will be submitted to Prime Minister Oli. He and Foreign Minister Rana will then inform the Chinese side about it. If China agrees to the document, it will be signed during Prime Minister Oli’s visit to China next week.

Prime Minister Oli’s Visit to China Approved

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s four-day visit to China, starting Monday, was approved by the Cabinet on Thursday. Prime Minister Oli will lead a 39-member government delegation, with 48 people from the private sector also joining. The delegation will include Prime Minister’s wife Radhika Shakya, Foreign Minister Rana, Chief Advisor Vishnu Rimal, Economic and Development Advisor Yuvraj Khatiwada, and other government officials such as MPs Arjunnar Singh KC, Bijula Rayamazhi, Rekha Sharma, Leelanath Shrestha, Sita Gurung, Deepak Karki, and Sarvendranath Shukla.

Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Amrit Kumar Rai, Investment Board CEO Sushil Gyawali, Prime Minister Oli’s personal physician Dr. Divya Singh Shah, personal secretary Rajesh Bajracharya, and Foreign Affairs Joint Secretary Krishna Prasad Dhakal, among others, will also be part of the visiting team. The business community delegation will be led by the Nepal Industry and Commerce Association.

Prime Minister Oli discussed the agendas with ministers during the Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba arrived in Chengdu, China, on Thursday to prepare for the visit and will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

Prime Minister Oli is expected to arrive in Beijing on Monday, where he will meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Prime Minister Oli’s schedule also includes meetings and events on Wednesday, with his return to Nepal planned for Thursday. He is preparing to travel to China via Himalaya Airlines.

Source: Kantipur