Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has made a strong pitch for gaining from China’s development, arguing that China’s One Road and One Belt (OROB) Initiative—also called the Belt and Road Initiative—will “propel” Nepal’s prospects. 

The OROB Initiative is a development strategy put forward by China for the countries in Europe and Asia, focusing on connectivity and cooperation. 

“The economic growth and development of China is one of the inspiring success stories of our time,” said PM Oli while giving a keynote speech in Renmin University in Beijing on Tuesday on the theme of “Nepal-China Relations in the Context of One Belt One Road Imitative”. 

“The Belt and Road Initiative will propel our prospects to benefit from the unprecedented transformation that is taking place in China and will cumulate the positive spillovers from development of China. Being the immediate neighbour of China, Nepal’s gains from this initiative will be remarkable,” said the prime minister.

PM Oli hoped that the initiative will help to realise what [Chinese] President Xi Jinping called a “Community of Common Destiny”. 

“This initiative is connectivity of commerce as well as of cultures, connectivity of interests as well as of benefits, connectivity of infrastructures as well as of ideas, connectivity of enterprises as well as of identities and connectivity within and way beyond Asia,” said Oli. 

Oli hoped to benefit from the spillover effect from China’s tremendous development. “The successful process of Belt and Road Initiative will unleash our potentials and will converge our interests with the avenues opened for trade and investment,” said Oli. 

Hailing China’s continuing support to Nepal and respect for Nepal’s sovereignty, PM Oli described the two countries as “all-weather friends.”

“Our friendly relations have been firmly fortified on the foundations of Panchasheel,” said PM Oli, adding that the sovereign equality, non-interference, and respect for each other’s sensitivities had guided the stable friendship between the two countries. As a friendly neighbour, he noted, Nepal has always been well aware of the sensitivities of China. “Nepal adheres strongly to the ‘One-China Policy’ and has not allowed its land to be used, under any pretext, against China,” he said. “Nepal will continue to keep this commitment firm and intact.”