KATHMANDU, April 22: Coinciding with the World Book Day which falls on April 23 every year, a new book titled "Mend or End" penned by Chinese journalist Zhou Shengping hit the stands on Thursday.
In the book, the author has given his perspective on Nepali politics, culture, tourism, economy and Nepal-China bilateral cooperation. The book is full of personal experiences and feelings of the author as he extensively interacted with politicians and people from various walks of life while working in Nepal for nearly a decade (2012 to 2021). In the book, the author has given some underlying causes behind failure in achieving Nepali people's long-cherished dream of socio-economic development and prosperity. As growing political instability in Nepal is a major headache for ordinary Nepali people in recent years, the author has tried to explain the same, a bit formally.
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As many Nepali people think, the author also views that the Nepali people's dream has not been realized due to failure especially on the part of leaders who often speak of transforming Nepal to the Switzerland of Asia. Nepali leaders often forget their promises that they make during elections. The author's views echo the sentiment of the common Nepali people.
The book also covers various aspects of China-Nepal relationship and recent high level exchange of visits including Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2019. The author has observed that the visit added a new chapter to friendly and cordial relationship between the two countries.
Suggesting Nepali leaders to wake up and focus on the country's socio-economic development, the author quotes Chinese paramount leader late Mao Zedong as saying "10,000 years are too long, seize the day, seize the hour." The author views that Nepal has huge potential to reap benefits from the rise of China and India and transform itself into a dynamic bridge.
As remittance has been a major backbone of Nepali economy over the years, the author points out that the country can face acute crisis if there is sudden disruption in remittance inflow. Apart from talking about Nepali politics, geopolitics and economy, the author has shared his personal experiences travelling to some places of Nepal like Mustang.
The book is basically a compilation of articles, analyses, interviews and news items by Mr. Zhou which appeared in Chinese media outlets like Xinhua, Asia Pacific Daily Nepal edition and some Nepali media during the past few years.
