Xi’s visit to Nepal: Far reaching announcements and agreements

President of China Xi Jinping landed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at 4:46 pm on October 12 of 2019 from Chennai of India by continuing his Wuhan spirit with Indian PM Narendra Modi for better regional understanding, strengthening regional connectivity and economic and trade cooperation, establishing new platforms for enhancing mutual trust and friendship in a tripartite nations like China, Nepal and India, and thereby contributing to global peace and prosperity.

President Xi was the first president in more than three years after two decades to make a state visit to Nepal with a view to injecting impetus for fulfilling the national goal of making prosperous Nepal and happy Nepali.

In fact, Xi’s visit is quite historic and significant not only in Nepal’s development chronology but also in world affairs. The whole world was eagerly waiting and alertly watching Xi’s visit to Nepal and its outcomes.

It is simply because the two-third government here is the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) elected from the democratic election and China is a country with a communist philosophy.

But I urge any people or leader or nation not to worry about it because Nepal and China have different forms of governments and Nepal will never be pro-Chinese nor Pro-Indian, but Pro-Nepali.

If there were other non-communist governments of two-third majorities in Nepal, there would never be any problem with the visit and economic cooperation of China to Nepal. I wonder sometimes at the way of thinking of human brains!

In this regard, President Xi’s visit was not materialized overnight; it was the final product of incessant efforts on Nepal’s side to welcome President Xi on Nepal’s soil with open arms.

Let me shortly analyze how all those different scenarios and visits culminated in today’s situation to make a historic alternative to Nepal’s land-locked complexity to today’s land-linked opportunity.

Nepal should appreciate China for transforming a landlocked country with a paralyzed historically national situation into a land-linked nation with many ramifications.

Nepal salutes China for such opportunity giving without greedy feelings and souls! Nepal and Nepali people will assess its significance and go on paying its respect back to China from time to time.

When there were a national pang and pain during the undeclared blockade from the Indian side starting from September 23, 2015, the whole success of today’s access to the third world from China was the result of then Prime Minister K P Oli’s determination and alternative way of thinking for Nepali people’s shared future prosperity and security.

That’s why the Nepali people were so overwhelmed to welcome the world’s modest but powerful President Xi to our country. His visit of just over 22 hours has opened many vistas for Nepal’s national prosperity and development.

PM Oli’s China visits in March of 2016; and in June of 2018, President Bhandari’s visit to China in April 2019 were the historical milestones for paving way for President’s Xi’s visit to Nepal on October 12 and 13, 2019.

Definitely, the credit of the grand success of President Xi’s visit and its fascinating conclusion goes to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, PM Oli and his government, even though it was prudently a national consensus among all political parties and their leaders.

Very simply, I would like to explain that it is Nepal’s national right as an independent nation to fully welcome our closest neighboring president from North to our soil as the guest of our nation. China has really proved the proverb that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

That’s why the Nepali people were so overwhelmed to welcome the world’s modest but powerful President Xi to our country. His visit of just over 22 hours has opened many vistas for Nepal’s national prosperity and development.

In brief, President Xi and Chinese delegation held bilateral talks with PM Oli  and his team and altogether 20 cooperation deals were signed in the presence of President Xi and PM Oli between Nepal and China, in which two were exchanges of letters, one was treaty, one was protocol of phytosanitary requirements, six were agreements and remaining 10 were memorandum of understandings (MOUs).

Those various agreements and understandings included the basic concept of Trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network emphasizing infrastructural development, security, trade, transit, agriculture, tourism, energy, health, education, etc.

The sovereignty of all the independent nations in the world is the same and is not less than any other nation irrespective of the size. This notion is clearly demonstrated in today’s agreement between Nepal and China.

President Xi made about six announcements in the evening at  special meeting with President Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas and at state banquet organized at Soaltee Hotel such as immediate start of feasibility study of Trans-Himalayan railway, speedy feasibility study of Keirung-Kathmandu tunnel, upgrading Arniko high way, opening of more customs points so as to facilitate connectivity, encouraging Chinese people to visit Nepal to help make Nepal visit year 2020 a success, supporting Nepal’s concern about climate change in the Himalayas were all included in the agreements and understandings as well as in the “14 points” joint statement issued on October 13, 2019.

These were the agreements done between two independent nations respecting each other’s concerns and core interests based on five principles of peaceful coexistence (Panchsheel treaty), UN Charters, principles of Non-aligned movement, etc.

It makes Nepal and Nepali people very happy with China’s warm friendship based on non-interference in Nepal’s internal affairs. Other nations also should learn from China and respect Nepal’s national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

No nation needs to be worried about the substantial help from any friendly nations for Nepal. It is Nepal’s right to develop independently.

The sovereignty of all the independent nations in the world is the same and is not less than any other nation irrespective of the size. This notion is clearly demonstrated in today’s agreement between Nepal and China.

Another far-reaching effect of agreements and understandings will be seen soon after the completion of the Keirung-Kathmandu tunnel and completion of the Trans-Himalayan railway within the next 8 to 9 years connecting Keirung to Kathmandu to Lumbini to Pokhara so that that this Trans-Himalayan railway will be connected to Indian border near Rupandehi District in Nepal.

Multidisciplinary Madan Bhandari Science and Technology University is another historic agreement for upgrading academic excellence in Nepal. The question of health is also addressed via the collaboration in traditional medical systems between the two countries.

In this way, Nepal will act as a bridge over rivers between China and India as well as an eternal emblem of natural landmarks of mountains erected between Nepal and China cum Nepal and India.

That is why, Nepal will act as a bridge between China and India via the Seventh economic corridor termed as “the Himalayan Economic corridor” under Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) connecting China, Nepal and India in South Asia so that Nepal will help China and India to lead the whole world with their joint leadership of Asian civilizations.

No nation needs to be worried about the substantial help from any friendly nations for Nepal. It is Nepal’s right to develop independently.

Nepal is deeply indebted to President Xi and China for showing such a warm heart and soul for Nepal’s national development, peace and prosperity.