Nepal PM Oli's China Visit: BRI Deals & Pokhara Airport in Focus, Delhi on Alert
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to visit China in December, focusing on advancing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Implementation Plan, infrastructure financing, and the Pokhara International Airport project. This trip, closely monitored by India, aims to revive stalled BRI projects and strengthen Nepal-China economic ties. Nepal has requested that the airport loan be converted into a grant, as cost overruns have stirred controversy. Although China considers the airport a flagship BRI project, Nepal's Foreign Ministry clarifies it isn’t formally part of the BRI framework.
Nepal PM Oli's China Visit: Focus on BRI, Loans, Pokhara Airport
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is likely to embark on a major state visit to China in early December. Key agenda items include the BRI Implementation Plan, infrastructure financing, and discussion of the Pokhara International Airport project. India is closely observing because Oli's visit intends to revive Nepal-China economic relations and fast-track ongoing projects under the BRI framework.
Convert Loans and BRI Expansion as Key Priorities
High on the agenda of the Oli visit is a Nepal request to transform Pokhara International Airport loan into a grant: there is a project, following several controversies over cost escalation and irregularities. China officially puts this airport in its list of BRI projects. But Nepal's foreign ministry clarifies that Pokhara International Airport was developed outside the BRI proper and thus not exactly falling into the China-made International Development Framework. Further, Nepal has requested China to advance the BRI Implementation Plan in order to better facilitate infrastructure and connectivity development.
Strategic Implications of Nepal-India-China
Oli's visit to China reflects Nepal's game of balance in the context of enhanced demands for infrastructures and changes in regional order. In search for economic development and greater connectivity in the region under the BRI, India maintains an interested eye on Nepal, with what implications will changes in Nepal's relations with China carry for the region. The strategic diplomatic engagement here will also go on to define Nepal's infrastructure and economic policy for the near term in this broader dynamic between China and Nepal and India.
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