Nepali and Chinese officials signed the Chinese concept ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) Cooperation Framework on Wednesday, which was the primary goal of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China.

Although the details have not been entirely made available, Pradeep Gyawali, Deputy Secretary General of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led party, CPN-UML, has mentioned on social media which projects are included under the ‘BRI Framework’.

“Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai and Vice Chairman of China’s Development and Reform Commission Liu Sushe signed the BRI Cooperation Framework in Beijing,” reads his post.

According to him, the framework includes the Tokha-Chhahare tunnel, Hilsa-Simikot Road Project, Kimathanka-Khandbari road and bridge, Geelong-Kerung-Kathmandu Cross Border Railway, Amargarhi City Hall at Dadeldhura, Geelong-Kerung-Rasuwagadhi Chilime 220kV cross-border transmission line, Madan Bhandari University, Kathmandu Scientific Centre and Science Museum, and China-Nepal Industrial Friendship Park in Damak and Jhapa Sports and Athletics Complex.
According to reports, the document seeks to prioritise 10 projects mentioned in the ‘BRI Cooperation Framework’ signed by officials from both countries.

However, the signing was pushed back Tuesday due to disagreements over draft terminology. The discussion centred on whether to include the term grant in the financial cooperation modality. Following additional discussions, a consensus was reached on Wednesday, with both parties agreeing to use the term aid assistance financing.

Prior to Prime Minister Oli’s visit to China, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML could not find a mutual understanding on the BRI implementation framework until the last minute.

Nepali Congress leaders had previously stated that they could not agree to take on additional loans from China. After the two parties reached an agreement on the same issue, a proposal was sent to China.

According to reports, when the BRI framework is applied to Nepal, the two countries have agreed that the project will be carried out through the ‘Aid’ framework.

Previously, following talks between PM Oli and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, officials from the two countries signed nine memoranda of understanding (MoUs), including economic cooperation, trade promotion and the construction of physical infrastructure.

The MoUs include an agreement on economic and technical cooperation, a letter of exchange for the Tokha-Chhahare tunnel, on trade promotion cooperation, a protocol agreement on essential elements for ‘thermal’ processing of buffalo meat for export from Nepal to China, a memorandum on development plan (year 2024-2029), a letter of exchange regarding financial support, and the handover of a certificate of completion of reconstruction of the nine-storey Basantpur Palace. An agreement has also been reached between Nepal Television, the Chinese Media Group, and volunteer Chinese language teachers.

They did not include the term ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) in the MoU. However, some of the aforementioned projects are also mentioned in the BRI cooperation framework signed by the two countries on Wednesday.

In his address to a program held at Peking University, PM Oli shared the belief that China has strongly supported Nepal’s development and the BRI project initiated under the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping would further deepen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Source: Himalayan