Dr. Binita - - - -
After China makes a regional approach for BRI in Nepal, will Nepal become a country that makes BRI the best? However, when the BRI was signed in May 2017, Nepal said that it did not have money for the construction of the project and did not want to take a loan. After not much progress in 6 years, it seems that China's President Xi Jinping has adopted a regional approach towards Nepal through the main connectivity branch.
For this reason, the visit of CPC Tibet Autonomous Region Secretary Wang Zhongzheng to Kathmandu, Pokhara has confirmed this.
China has accepted projects like Pokhara and Lumbini. Wang Zhongzheng held talks with the chief minister of the province. It seems that Tibet will take the leadership of BRI in Nepal. Wang said that Prachanda's visit to China and President Xi's visit in 2019 were focused on implementing the agreements.
Looking at the experience of BRI in Sri Lanka and other regions, Nepal does not seem to be in a hurry to finalize BRI's investment modality and risks with caution. Nepal signed the BRI in May 2017. Progress is zero. The project has not been finalised. In the action plan issued by the central government of China, Tibet said that it will work together with Nepal in the implementation of BRI and will work together with the Nepal government in areas such as cultural promotion, development, trade and commercial cooperation. Investment modality has become the main challenge when Nepal is looking for grants and not loans. China favors debt. The main Kerung-Kathmandu rail plan has been stopped.
Pokhara International Airport was built with a loan of 215 million dollars from Exim Bank of China, China has a dispute with BRI. Gautam Budh International Airport was built in 2022 with loan investment from ADV and OPEC Fund, the contractor was China's Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group. India refused to re-implement the 2009 bilateral air service agreement, did not provide air routes, carriers did not show willingness, showed security concerns, and became a burden for Nepal. How China will support Nepal in conducting international projects has become a matter of waiting.
After the November 3 earthquake, China provided road and air support to Nepal. We have promised to start regular and direct flights from Lhasa, Chengdu and Guangzhou to Pokhara. It is said to help in the development of the Korla border crossing and the health infrastructure of Gandaki province. For this, the Secretary of Tibet has also invited a visit to Tibet.
According to Chinese expert Hiranyalal Shrestha, about the purpose of Wang's current visit, China will use Nepal as a transit point to enter the Indian market and this will be determined by the state of India-China bilateral relations. China Study Center Secretary General Upendra Gautam has said that it is China's policy to mobilize the provinces for BRI implementation and this visit is related to BRI implementation. President Madan Regmi's opinion is also similar.
Madan Regmi says – There are many geopolitical and other complications to deploy BRI. Initially, China seems ready to implement BRI in the border areas with China. The Western threat is in Tibet, so China wants to give the provincial government of Tibet the leadership of BRI in Nepal, wants to take Tibet.
Regarding BRI or China's big investment, Nepal is under the influence of the powers, so China understands that Nepal has limited capacity. Nepal has a weak decision-making capacity, the power is slow, and there are many dilemmas. Nepal's foreign investment planners are influenced by the West. What does China want by investing heavily in Nepal? The question is also the main one. China is working on G2. The Chinese private sector is also willing to invest. All eyes of China are connected to security interests. China has a joint large investment in Nepal's Hongxi cement industry. China has become almost self-sufficient. From a broader South Asian perspective, China's ultimate goal is to make Nepal a transit point and strengthen Tibet's security perimeter.
In conclusion, Nepal immediately wants to avoid getting stuck in the quagmire of Chinese debt in the name of BRI. This is why China is forced to adopt a regional approach towards Nepal.
Prof. Dr. Rajeev Kumar Jha, who has been teaching at Xi'an University of Medical Sciences in Xi'an, Shanxi Province, China for more than two decades, says - "The agreements and understandings reached between Nepal and China during the recent visit of Prime Minister Dahal, as well as the joint commitment made in the joint press statement, are in favor of Nepal's interests and development. are But since similar agreements in the past cannot be implemented, China is waiting for the implementation of these agreements."
According to him, the 'Cross Border Railway' agreement is important for Nepal. If the Nepal-China cross-border railway can be built, it will not take long for the prosperity of Beijing to reach Kathmandu. Tourists or goods can reach Nepal from any place in China in five to six days. A landlocked country like ours is not only connected by air, but if it can be connected by railway, this will be the biggest advantage for Nepal. The Chinese want to build a railway in Nepal, but we have to do the diplomatic lobbying for it. Now our trade deficit with China is huge. Our exports are negligible but our imports are high. The route to export goods to China will be replaced by the railway tomorrow. In a recent agreement, China has promised assistance in some agricultural products and animal husbandry. An industrial park is being built like in Cambodia. According to these agreements, if production is produced tomorrow, it will be exported to China and the only thing necessary for this is the railway.
Professor Zha will research the traditional and Ayurvedic medical system of Nepal and promote it. China has said that it will conduct research on herbs with medicinal value found in Himalayan and high mountain areas of Nepal and will provide necessary support in this area. The purpose of this agreement is to research the herbs found in the Himalayan region and manufacture medicines.
China is ready to help Nepal in science technology and information technology. China will give projects to Nepal, through these projects we will benefit from their prosperity and development. Nepal is responsible for implementation. He says, "Just like when the Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Nepal in 2019, some of the projects of the agreement have not reached the implementation level. The government of Nepal has to create an environment in which the agreements and agreements made this time will be implemented soon. China wants to see the progress of the VRI project signed six years ago.
We need it and China is ready to give. BRI can be implemented by opening all the borders with China, Nepal's prosperity lies in this.
China's next strategy – 'GSI'
The Global Security Initiative (GSI), the widely discussed security strategy put forward by China, states: 'Nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, the growing risks and challenges the world is facing today, especially in the shadow of the Ukraine crisis, eliminate the root causes of international conflict and global security. It has been made public with the aim of improving it.'
China has officially released a concept paper with the aim of taking global security initiatives. The Global Security Initiative (GSI) is a strategic concept linked to security put forward by China for global security. The concept has been in the news since Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the Boao Forum in April.
It strongly supports the UN-centered security administration structure. It has supported UN efforts to prevent war and lead post-war reconstruction. It is mentioned that major countries should play a leading role in global security issues, reject dictatorship and fraud and establish peaceful coexistence, stable and balanced relations between major countries.
A call to practice multilateralism
According to China, GSI is open and inclusive. If any country joins the GSI and sincerely wants to protect world peace, we will support it. China claims that it is supported by 80 countries and regions.
At the same time, China's Minister Kang claimed that there has been an effort to separate China's development from the current international environment. It is clear that this security policy is for China's self-interest. Traditional and non-traditional security threats continue to increase. The deficit in peace, development, security and good governance is increasing and the world is once again standing on the stage of history. External oppression and control over China is continuously increasing. This has created a serious threat to China's sovereignty and security.
However, the GSI concept is said to be linked to the welfare of the people of all countries, the high aspirations of world peace and development, and the future of humanity. It is mentioned that no one can stop the historical process of peace, development and win-win cooperation and cooperation in this era.
The GSI proposed by Chinese President Xi has six concepts:
1. "Commitment to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security." Its essence is "advocating the common security concept, respecting and protecting the security of each country."
2. "Commitment to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries."
3. "Commitment to comply with the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter." Cold War mentality, unilateralism, factional conflict and authoritarianism are against the spirit of the United Nations Charter and called for resistance and rejection.
4. "A commitment to take seriously the legitimate security concerns of all countries."
5. "Commitment to resolve differences and disputes between countries peacefully through dialogue and consultation."
6. "Commitment to maintain security in both traditional and non-traditional domains."
In the third section, 20 priorities for cooperation to implement the strategy's cooperation mechanism, China's responsibility and determination to protect world peace are set.
Forums and mechanisms of cooperation are placed in the last section. Similarly, it is said that the role of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, China and Central Asia Mechanism, East Asia Cooperation Mechanism etc. will be utilized and security cooperation will be increased. The goal of GSI is to promote the establishment of a multilateral dialogue platform in the Gulf region, to promote regional and global peace and stability by playing the role of a coordination and support mechanism through meetings of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighboring countries, etc.
The China-Africa Peace and Security Forum, the Middle East Security Forum, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum and other international dialogue forums are said to help deepen security exchanges and cooperation. It also aims to promote the establishment of more global security forums to provide new platforms for governments, international organizations, think tanks and social organizations to take advantage of them and participate in global security governance.
With the objective of improving governance capacity in the field of security, there are also issues of addressing security challenges in areas such as counter-terrorism, cyber security, biosecurity and emerging technologies.
It is said that more cooperation between university-level military and police academies will be encouraged and China will provide 5,000 training opportunities to other developing countries to address global security issues within the next five years.
GSI and Nepal
Since the BRI that started in 2013 was ineffective, President Xi has developed a development-focused strategy through the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and a security-focused strategy through the Global Security Initiative (GSI). Even though former President Bidya Bhandari sent his best wishes at that time, Nepal has already replied that it will not participate in the GSI.
GSI has been launched by China to counter America's IPS, SPP.
It seems that China has increased the activity of GSI to counter the growing interest of US, EU and India in Nepal.
After the current Prachanda government was formed, China sent a proposal for GSI. Through Ambassador Bishnupukar, he replied that Nepal does not have a policy of staying in any security alliance.
It remains to be seen how China will impose GSI and BRI in Nepal.
