China Initiates Move to Advance BRI Projects, Joint Meeting Scheduled for June 2

Kathmandu. The Chinese side has initiated steps to advance projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in accordance with agreements reached with Nepal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that preparations are underway for high-level visits and meetings to this end.

Internal discussions are being held to move forward various projects based on the BRI Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2017 and the BRI Framework signed during then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China in 2024. During that visit, the two countries agreed to advance ten projects. However, most of these projects remain stalled due to various reasons. A ministry official said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now set to ascertain the current status of those projects.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a meeting of the “Nepal-China Cooperation Programme and Project Implementation Facilitation Mechanism” is scheduled for June 2. The ministry is expected to complete its study of the projects ahead of that meeting. Sources said the meeting will be led by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai on the Nepali side and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming on the Chinese side.

The meeting will review the progress of projects operating under Chinese grants and concessional loans in Nepal. It will also review delayed works and discuss ways to expedite them. In particular, discussions are expected on advancing projects such as the Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagadhi Highway maintenance and improvement, the Chilime-Rasuwagadhi-Kerung 220 kV transmission line, the Nepal-China cross-border railway, the Kathmandu Ring Road improvement, the Tokha-Chhahare tunnel, and the Hilsa-Simikot road project.

To accelerate these projects, high-level discussions have already taken place between the two countries and letters have been exchanged. Sources claim that following this mechanism meeting, the 17th meeting of another joint consultation mechanism will also be held in China. Foreign Secretary Rai himself is expected to travel to China to participate in that meeting.

Ahead of both these joint meetings, Vice Chairman of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region Zhuo Peng is set to visit Nepal. He is expected to hold high-level meetings during his visit, although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed unawareness regarding this visit.