Nepal-China high-level meeting begins in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: A high-level bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Nepal and China is underway in Kathmandu.

The meeting is deliberating on several significant issues of bilateral relations.

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi are leading their respective delegations comprising high government officials of both the countries.

Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi said that three separate memorandums of understanding (MoUs) would be signed following the talks.

The MoUs are related to building a hospital in Manang with China’s assistance, providing 5,000 units of tents to the earthquake-affected and Chinese volunteers teaching Chinese language at Nepali educational institutions.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Gyawali, Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Nepal’s ambassador to China, Leela Mani Poudyal, Foreign Secretary Bairagi, Finance Secretary Rajan Khanal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kali Prasad Pokharel, among the senior officials are participating in the consultations from Nepal’s side.

The Chinese side which is led by Foreign Minister Wang comprises Chinese Foreign Secretary Lu Zhoubi, China’s ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, Vice Chair of Chinese International Development Cooperation Agency, officials of the Asia Department at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other senior officials.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang is currently in Nepal on a three-day official visit.

Sources said that the talks would focus on bilateral economic cooperation as well as expediting the pacts and agreements that were signed in the past between the two countries.

They will also discuss on the implementation of the projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Nepal and China had in March 2017 signed a bilateral pact under the BRI in Kathmandu.

Chinese foreign minister Wang is also scheduled to call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister K.P. Oli, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Nepal Communist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.