China is the passionate brethren of Nepal. This is the pleasure of we Nepalese to embrace to welcome the President of the People’s Republic China Mr. Xi Jin Ping today. This is the initiation to enhance peace and prosperity together with dignity not only in this region, but also in the global spectrum. Now China is collaborating and compassionating for the greater cause of the humanity together with all the stockholders beyond the geographical and cultural frontiers, President Xi Jin Ping is not only the visionary leader, but also a man of passion with compassion and humanity as internalized by the tradition of Tao and Confucious.
Nepali Culture: Guest is the God
In the Nepali culture guest consideration as God. This is the values and tradition. This is one of the most important essences of cultural values. Our brethren President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jin Ping, honored us with compassion and respected to the full of the dignity and the beings to enhance humane. It is the cultural norms. We know that we keep our home environment clean and peaceful always. Keeping the courtyard clean in any special cultural festivals and on the occasion of welcoming the guests is also our cultural value. Following this tradition and value now the Kathmandu is pristine and in peace to welcome the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jin Ping.
Collaborative initiatives with Xi Jin Ping’s visit
President Xi Jin Ping envisions a collaborative and cooperative sense of coexistence respecting dignity and values with the communities in the world. This is the essence of Xi Jin Ping’s thought and it’s important to this world. Belt and Road Initiative is the way to proact for the global development, prosperity, and peace.
Nepal is a landlocked country. The country endorsed a transit treaty with China in the recent days specifically after the Indian embargo. It surfaced specifically after the inauguration of the constitution of Nepal in 2015. It needed Infrastructure development, however, it was not possible from a state point of view, for that very reasons we needed cooperation and collaboration. This initiative not only mediated and facilitated with the historical visit of President Xi Jin Ping and the Chinese love and passion. I hope this will facilitate access to the north, and to the world. The BRI is the most important connectivity not only to China and India but also to the world, not only by the terrestrial networks but also to the maritime. This railway to access through the Himalayan corridor is the most important to the South Asian communities, but also its a global initiative for peace and prosperity through engagement. Geopolitics engaged with such endeavors not only go beyond the frontiers but also permeated through other endeavors. However, the prospect entailed so far with the geopolitical and international relations is contentious. It is one of the most important connectivity in the world, not only for economic development but also for the human security and peace. Enabling connectivity through China and Nepal overland transportation networks impacts the international relations not only in East Asia, Middle East, South Asia, West Asia, but also the trading relationship as envisioned by the Silk Road tradition to trade with the Indian continent and beyond. Despite, one of the opinions is that BRI might corrugate the Nepalese and Indian relations adversely.
This is why this is the dream. To materialize this dream now the communities, China and Nepal are collaborating organically. This connectivity not only transforms the lives of South Asia, but also the global humanity. Connectivity is the key of the economic development. In the contemporary world, trade is more important than politics. How we learn from the Chinese is to develop the economic foundations, then only prosperity is possible. There will be peace and we can live with peace together with prosperity.
We are talking about Lhasa-Kerung railway line. India also wants to use this railway line for trade with Europe, the Middle East, and West Asia and beyond. At this point, Nepal will be a transit point in this region. That’s why this railway line will be a window of opportunity for Nepal. Communist Party of China also knows that the gate of Nepal has to be opened to make South Asia prosperous. We know very well what is our priority and what are the important roles of Nepal regarding the BRI. We also know that, according to our foreign policy, we have to balance our neighbors based on our national interests. Our current government is very clear and conscious on it.
BRI and President Xi’s visit to Nepal
BRI is the initiative to collaborate and cooperate with all the neighbors. Till date, there are two types of model experiences by humankind. The one is to earn, at the same time demolished the others. Next, mutual collaboration and coexistence is the basis of the conduct. The first model imposes hegemony. That not prevails, nor prosperity. It only makes many dispossed, whereas some are abundant. We are happy to see the second vision of the Chinese leadership.
It is important to have regional peace if we want global peace purposely. We joined with the BRI in 2017. It’s was late but now the situation is very good to work on it. We have a stable government and strong leadership.
BRI and the others
At the beginning it was impossible to conduct the railway system from Qing Hai to Lhasa by many Western programmers. However, Chinese knowledge, skill, and technology embark on it to make it successful in it’s functioning full scale. That is the landmark to recognized Chinese skill and technology in the world. It’s getting a high global credential.
Still, we have discourses in Nepal and India about the prospect of BRI is one of the ambitious projects to indebt around the world. My point in this regard is that BRI is within the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Whereas, Asian Development Bank, and World Bank on the other side are siphoning the economic vessel. Let’s see these two perspectives. What are the terms and conditions? However, do you see any unexpectable terms and unethical conditions of the BRI? We can compare by the interest rate from World Bank, ADB, and BRI. It’s a great difference with exploitative motives. For that reason and many others, it is fictitious dilemma. These ways are only to enhance President Xi’s might help create a positive attitude to get through BRI a collaborative mutual development and peace. Positive attitude and implementation with faith might be a paradigm shift not only for the development of the Nepalese communities, but also to the region and the world. For that and many other reasons, President Xi Jin Ping’s visit to Nepal is one of the important milestones.
About the writer: Ganga Prasad Upreti is currently the Chancellor of Nepal Academy. The academy is a national institution of Nepal for the promotion of the languages, literature, culture, philosophy and social sciences of Nepal. The academy commissions research and aims to promote the development of cultural and intellectual endeavors by coordinating national and international activities. He was the former chief of the World Language College, Kathmandu. He has written more than a dozen books including about Nepal China relations.