Nepal and China have issued a 15-point joint communique from Beijing which said both sides have agreed to seal the petrol trade deal.
- Nepal and China expressed commitments to address each other’s interests and concerns while paying due respect to independence and geographic integrity of both nations.
- China welcomed the new Constitution of Nepal and hoped that it would provide an opportunity for economic development and political stability.
- Both nations concluded that Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s week-long official visit to China elevated the bilateral relation to a new height.
- Meanwhile, Oli left Beijing for Boao in Hinnan province of China. He is scheduled to return home on March 27 from Chengdu.
Points to Note
- India-Nepal ties could not be compared or curtailed by Nepal’s agreements with China.
- After all, 98 per cent of Nepal’s third country trade goes through India and to the port of Kolkata.
- India at present has two rail lines under construction and three more are being planned to increase Nepal’s trade ties.
- During the February visit of Prime Minister Oli to New Delhi, India agreed on giving dedicated access to Nepal to the port of Vizag.
- In comparison to the Nepal-China agreement, India and Nepal had 25 crossing points, two integrated checkpoints and 2 more checkpoints were under construction.
