Nepal, China meeting silent over BRI, GSI; other projects discussed

Senior officials from Nepal and China reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties in Beijing but failed to mention that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Global Security Initiative (GSI) were also discussed.

In a statement issued by the Nepali side on Friday evening upon completion of the 15th meeting of the Bilateral Diplomatic Consultation Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Nepal and China, there was no mention of discussions about BRI and GSI.

Nepal and China had signed the BRI agreement some six years ago but it has failed to make any tangible progress.

Beijing recently came up with the new security architecture named GSI and is pushing Nepal to support it but Nepal has not responded yet.

Both sides took stock of the existing Nepal-China bilateral relations and cooperation and deliberated on the ways to further expanding and consolidating cooperation in various areas, including the exchange of bilateral visits; economic cooperation; promotion of trade, investment and tourism; building connectivity; and strengthening cooperation in the fields of agriculture, education, culture and people-to-people relations, among others, according to a statement issued by the Nepal Embassy in Beijing said.

The two sides discussed promoting people to people contacts and cultural cooperation, increasing the number of scholarships to Nepali students and professionals, capacity development of technical experts, among others.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of different infrastructure development projects under China's grant assistance as well as Chinese-contracted projects and agreed to expedite the implementation of the projects so as to complete them in time.

With a view to reduce trade deficit, Nepal's Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal proposed for preferential treatment to Nepali primary products such as tea, coffee, herbal products, cooked buffalo meat, and other agricultural products.

The Chinese side agreed to encourage Chinese investors to make investments in mutually beneficial areas, according to the statement.

On the occasion, the two sides reviewed the cooperation between the two countries at the multilateral forums, including in the UN, and exchange of mutual support to each other's candidatures.

They also discussed the importance of implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the usefulness of the GDI to promote the SDG agenda.

Vice Foreign Minister of China Sun Weidong led the delegation from the Chinese side.

During the meeting, Paudyal appreciated the government of China for enlisting Nepal as one of the outbound destination countries for group tourism.

The Vice Minister of China admired Nepal's consistent adherence to one China policy and respect for the five principles of peaceful coexistence.

Paudyal appreciated the Chinese policy of non-interference and respect for Nepal's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, reads the statement by the Nepali side.

--IANS

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