The government has reached the final stages of the preparations for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s China visit that is scheduled to begin on September 23.

The prime minister will leave for Hangzhou, China from New York, where he will be attending the United Nations General Assembly. Dahal will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou as a guest. The prime minister will then begin his official engagements in Beijing and other Chinese cities, the schedules of which are being finalised. Dahal on Monday apprised President Ramchandra Paudel about his upcoming US and China visits, according to the president’s office.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister NP Saud said that during the prime minister’s China visit, both sides will discuss matters related to agriculture, health, road connectivity, opening up of the border points, energy cooperation and the growing trade deficit with China.

Saud was speaking to reporters in Solukhumbu on Monday. The Nepali side is also preparing to seek the grant announced by the Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit to Nepal in October 2019.

During the delegation level talks with former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Xi had announced a RMB3.5 billion aid, which is equivalent to 65 billion Nepali rupees, for the years 2020–2022. But due to the Nepali side’s failure to hold the negotiations with the Chinese side, Nepal is yet to receive the grant announced by President Xi.

“We have put some programmes and projects under the grant announced by the Chinese President during his Nepal visit. So we have prioritised some projects to be funded under the grant announced by the Chinese president,” Saud said. “We will also take up the matter of opening up the border points. We have different kinds of bordering points with China. Some are regular border points where movements and trade are taking place. So we plan to get these regular entry points restarted as they existed before the Covid era.”

There are some seasonal border points between Nepal and China which do open for three to four months, said Saud. “These border points are being used by the local people residing across the northern border.”

Saud went on, “We have up to 10 such seasonal border points with China. These points are located in Darchula, Bajhang, Dolpa, Gorkha, Sankhuwasabha, and Dolakha and we want to classify them so that we can open them permanently. We want to restart these border points so that local lives of the people in the northern belt become easier. These seasonal entry points which have been used for a long time, we will upgrade them.”

Nepali side is proposing to open the Ruila border point in Gorkha, Tinker in Darchula and Urai in Bajhang for local people who want to travel to the other side of the border for different purposes.

Saud said that there are some agendas related to energy cooperation between Nepal and China and during the visit, the Nepali side will take up the construction of the cross-border transmission lines and some hydro-electricity projects.

“We want to develop some of the hydropower projects by bringing the Chinese investments on the Nepal-China border like in the Kimathanka area,” said Saud. “We are also discussing the development of a cross-border transmission line with China.”

The Nepali side will seek Chinese assistance for the construction of some roads including some east-west and north-south corridors.

“Especially the construction of the fasttrack road in Seti, construction of the Hilsa–Surkhet road, construction of the Tokha–Chahare tunnel, upgradation of the Araniko Highway and its repair and maintenance are top priority,” said Saud.

During the visit, Nepali side will take up some agendas related to the health sector that include the expansion of the Civil Service Hospital and relocation of the Bir Hospital from its present location to Bhaktapur.

In order to address the burgeoning trade deficit with China, both sides will identify exportable items so that joint ventures of Nepali and Chinese investors can invest in various manufacturing items in Nepal in order to lessen the trade gap, said Saud.

During the visit, according to officials privy to the preparations, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has recommended taking up the amendment of Nepal-China Trade and Payment Agreement of 1981, implementation of the Trade and Transit Agreement signed in 2016 and the easy access of Nepali agriculture products, handicrafts and carpets to the Chinese market.

The Nepali side is also going to propose signing of the preferential trade agreement, establishment of a multipurpose laboratory at some border points and the construction of an international exhibition centre in Chobar, Kathmandu.

Similarly, there is also a proposal of developing a cross-border economic zone near Nepal-China border which was agreed to during the visits of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to China in 2016 and Dahal in 2017.

A proposal on the review of mutual recognition agreement is also forwarded by the ministry in order to increase the presence of Nepali herbal and agricultural products in China and there is also another proposal of inviting more Chinese investments in various sectors of Nepal.

There is also a proposal of exporting several Nepali agro products, meat and dairy products to China which will be discussed during the visit, officials who are preparing the agendas told the Post. “We are proposing the export of Nepali herbal products, vegetables, fruits like kiwi, dragon fruit, orange, buffalo meat, chicken, pork, dairy products and live animals,” said one of the officials.