Kathmandu: Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli returned to Kathmandu from Beijing wrapping up his four-days official visit to China on Thursday.
‘Framework for Belt and Road Cooperation’ has received a lot of attention as a substantive deal during PM’s visit to China.
Given that Oli’s colleagues from Nepali Congress, the main coalition partner in the government, had strong reservations on any kind of agreement on BRI on loan basis, a misgiving at home before he left for China was whether he would be able to achieve anything tangible during the visit.
Though BRI did not feature in initial deals between the two countries on Tuesday, it featured in the joint statement and on Wednesday. When Nepal and China signed the Framework on BRI Cooperation, it has been described as a major step forward on BRI, as progress on BRI was nil since the MoU was signed in 2017.
Also perceived to be a subject under geopolitical gaze, the BRI deal of Nepal with China often attracts attention in world’s major power centers. Is the BRI agreement only point that Nepal can count as a success? Or are there others too?
I asked three observers/ analysts who have been closely watching various issues on Nepal-China relations as well as developments in domestic politics.
Sushil Pyakurel, a celebrated human rights activist who also briefly served as political advisor of former president Bidya Devi Bhandari, says that PM Oli’s visit to China has achieved at least three substantive gains for Nepal. The visit established three things of long-term significance for Nepal, he told The DMN News. “First, the delegation led by the PM was able to take the BRI implementation issue forward. Nepal had already become its signatory in 2017. It would be rather disingenuous and undiplomatic on part of Nepal to keep this vital deal in limbo,” he said. “Something had to be done about it. Framework agreement now has paved the way forward.”
Second achievement, according to him, is that Nepal established that its Prime Minister can choose where to make the first port of call after taking office. “A faulty assumption here and outside is that once appointed a Nepali PM should start the official foreign visit from one certain country and not from another,” he said. “A government of a sovereign nation can decide which country to go first and work to safeguard national interests.” “PM set this precedent,” he said.
Another very important achievement, said Pyakurel, is the agreement between two sides to start the process for constructing cross-border transmission lines. “This will give Nepal a choice to export its power to either neighbor on competitive price. We no longer will have to rely on only one country to sell our electricity.”
Geja Sharma Wagle, a geopolitical analyst, listed four points as achievements. First, he said, is that with signing of BRI Framework Cooperation its implementation process has started. “Look, for the last seven years since we signed the MoU, BRI was not going anywhere. There was no progress,” he said. “Now we have laid a foundation for its implementation in the days to come.”
Second significant achievement, according to him, is Nepali Congress and CPN-UML forged a consensus regarding how to take forward major development cooperation projects with a major power. “They gave the positive message that on international relations, foreign policy, bilateral relations and big projects with foreign countries, two parties can find a common ground to move forward,” said Wagle. “In a country where a political consensus on foreign policy is rare, this is a noteworthy achievement, which is much needed for a geopolitically sensitive country.” They conveyed the message that when it comes to dealing with neighbors and foreign powers, they can have a common approach and agenda. “This is a milestone precedent.”
Third, there was a lot of skepticism in Kathmandu before PM left for China. There was a concern, worries and dismissive thoughts in Kathmandu that PM Oli might have to return empty-handed and the visit will be a low key and average. “But the last-minute intensive negotiations produced some fruits,” Wagle said.
Fourth, Congress and UML sent a message, said Wagle, that when two major political parties stand united, the big powers also negotiate in good faith and we can negotiate from the position of strength.
Shankar Tiwari, a youth leader from Nepali Congress, however, says that though the visit was meaningful it did not achieve something to be proud of.
“There have been no new breakthroughs. The BRI Cooperation Framework document marks continuation of the MoU signed in 2017. And there have been repetition of previous commitments from both sides,” he said, adding, it depends on “how successful project implementation under BRI will be.”
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