KATHMANDU, Oct 9: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, has said that a series of fruitful results has been achieved since Nepal and China inked a Memorandum of Understanding on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017.
The ambassador said there was more policy alignment, improved exchange mechanisms for trade and economic issues, and streamlined connectivity programs that formed a web of networks in the areas such as ports, roads, railways, airways and telecommunications.
During a conference on ‘Trade, Investment, and Connectivity: A Decade of BRI’ organized by the Friends of Silk Road Club Nepal in Kathmandu on Sunday, the Chinese ambassador said that the BRI has embarked on a new journey with achievements and dreams which belong not only to China but also to the whole world.
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Terming Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's recent visit to China as successful, Ambassador Chen said that this is the highest level visit since the President Xi Jinping’s historic state visit to Nepal in 2019 and the BRI was the highlight of the trip, a joint statement expressed the “commitment to accelerate the consultations to finalize the text on the BRI Implementation Plan at an early date”.
Recalling that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed building a new Silk Road Economic Belt by promoting policy coordination, road connectivity, unimpeded trade, currency convertibility, and strengthened people-to-people ties, Ambassador Chen argued that the past decade witnessed a vivid picture of the BRI’s transformation from a regional transit corridor into a global development vision.
Saying that China and Nepal will continuously promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, following the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, the Chinese envoy mentioned that China is ready to work with Nepal to continuously improve connectivity at ports, roads, railways, aviation, telecommunications and electricity, accelerate the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, and help Nepal upgrade connectivity with neighboring countries as soon as possible.
Likewise, the ambassador stated that trade at border ports have been recovered to pre-pandemic level and mentioned that the Chinese side supports Nepali side to participate in major platforms such as the China International Import Expo, China-South Asia Expo and Xizang Tourism and Culture Expo to facilitate the export to China. "WeChat payment's functioning in Nepal this year further facilitated Chinese tourists and cross-border trade," he added.
"China is willing to import more quality agricultural products from Nepal, encourage Chinese enterprises to participate in the development of Nepal, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education, medical care, tourism, among others," he added.
Likewise, he stated that China was willing to support Nepal to push forward agricultural modernization, energy autonomy, industrial upgrading and transformation; help Nepal ease its international balance of payments, accelerate economic development, improve people's livelihood and better safeguard its independence.
(RSS)
