Kathmandu, Nepal, March 15, 2022: Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi is arriving in Nepal on March 26 on a two-day official visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has confirmed yi’s scheduled visit to Nepal sans elaborating the exact purpose of the visit.
Chinese senior leader Yi’s proposed visit to Nepal is taken importantly in political as well as diplomatic level as it is scheduled just after the ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a multibillion American funded grant project, which was endorsed from the Nepal’s parliament last month despite ‘concerns’ from China.
The MoFA officials have said that Chinese Foreign Minister Yi-led delegation is scheduled to meet with President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Nepali Counterpart Dr. Narayan Khadka. It is said that the Chinese delegation would visit other several leaders during their two day stay in Kathmandu.
Even though none of the sides have elaborated about the exact purpose of the visit, it is claimed that Chinese Foreign Minister Yi is arrive here to push for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a China initiated ambitious multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project that aims to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land.
Nepal had signed up to the Framework Agreement on BRI just four months after signing in the MCC compact project with America in 2017. However, there has not been any desirable progress regarding the implementation of BRI in Nepal.
It is said that China wants to sign at least two agreements regarding the implementation of BRI during Yi’s visit to Nepal. However, it is unlikely to sign in the agreements as none of the project is fixed yet under the BRI.
Ruling head Nepali Congress spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, who is also the former foreign minister, terms the Chinese Foreign Minister Yi’s upcoming Nepal visit as confidence even though it is scheduled just after the ratification of the MCC.
Following the ratification of the MCC from the parliament, China had strongly opposed the decision even blaming the US for engaging in ‘coercive diplomacy’ in Nepal. It was alleged at that time that China was also exerting pressure on some Communist leaders not to support the MCC ratification.
