KATHMANDU: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, who is trying to promote the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Nepal, took to Twitter on Thursday to assert that the recently concluded Dragon Boat Race in Pokhara was in line with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative GCI). Song, spearheading a campaign to disseminate information about Nepal’s interest in the BRI, shared the claim via a tweet.

“An art troupe from the sister city of Pokhara – Linzhi – presented a visual feast of Xizang culture, which is an important program of the Dragon Boat Race Festival. Another vivid implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative,” he tweeted on Thursday.

China hosted the “Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival – 2023” in Pokhara’s Phewa Lake last week with the objective of promoting Nepal’s tourism sector.

However, even though the race was primarily focused on boosting Nepal’s tourism sector, observers said it could be China’s strategy to “impose” GCI.123

Since his arrival in Kathmandu as China’s Ambassador to Nepal, Song has been making a series of controversial comments in public, raising concerns about the Nepal government’s role.

A high-level Chinese delegation engaged in discussions with some leaders of Nepal’s political parties, including the CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, among others.

It also should be recalled that on December 31, 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal claimed that the Pokhara International Airport was a “prominent flagship project” of the BRI.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on January 1, 2023.

China’s Ambassador to Nepal, Song, made a similar statement last week when a chartered international commercial aircraft landed at Pokhara International Airport.

Despite the Nepal government’s reluctance to participate in the BRI and the GCI, Ambassador Song has claimed that Nepal has been involved in the project, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has chosen to remain conspicuously silent on the matter.

It may be noted that Chinese leaders have reportedly been exerting pressure on Nepal to participate in President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), which are part of China’s broader strategy to expand its influence beyond the BRI.

However, the government’s silence when Ambassador Song asserts Nepal’s participation in the BRI and GCI on social media is noticeable.

Observers and foreign affairs experts warn that Nepal’s attitude may lead to future trouble, describing it as a potential diplomatic and strategic trap that could hinder the country’s progress.

They emphasize that if Nepal fails to clarify its position promptly, the country risks falling into such a trap.

When it comes to Pokhara Int’l Airport, Nepal obtained a concessional loan of Rs 22 billion from China’s Exim Bank, with an interest rate of 2.75 percent.

Interestingly, the loan agreement between the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and China EXIM Bank did not mention the BRI.

Additionally, the construction of the Airport had already commenced before the BRI was introduced to Nepal.

Nepal and China signed the framework agreement on the BRI in 2017.

Even though, Nepal initially identified 35 projects to be undertaken as part of BRI, the total number of projects was reduced to nine.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials even urged Ganesh Timilsina, the National Assembly Chairperson to participate in the GSI and GCI during his recent visit to China, sources claimed.

Sources also claimed that leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as part of their underlying strategic motives, are “exerting pressure” on Nepal’s political leaders endeavoring to convince them to participate in the GSI and GCI.

A high-level Chinese delegation engaged in discussions with some leaders of Nepal’s political parties, including the CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, among others.

Experts view that Beijing’s latest move is to extend China’s influence in Nepal to counter the US project Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

@khabarhub.com