Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has defended the decision to visit China instead of India. He called it absurd. According to the Kathmandu Times, Oli is going to China on an official visit from 2 to 6 December. He is being criticized for his decision to visit China first instead of India. It has been a tradition in Nepal that the new Prime Minister visits India first. On the question of breaking this tradition, Oli said – Is it written anywhere that a particular country should be visited first. Is it written in any religious text or the Constitution or the Charter of the United Nations? Nepal is in favor of maintaining better relations with all neighbors. We do not have enmity with anyone. Actually, this comment of Oli has come after an interview of former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. Prachanda had recently given an interview to ‘The Hindu’. In this, he said that Oli is playing the ‘China card’ by visiting China instead of India. Oli said – I am not going to China to ask for a loan
Oli also expressed confidence in the success of his upcoming visit to China. He said, “I am not going on a sudden trip, I will report on it myself after returning.” He said that he is not going to China to ask for a loan. He wants to increase Nepal’s productivity. Last week, Oli had said about his visit to India that – I am going to China first, it does not mean that we do not have good relations with India. When India had blockaded (in 2015-16), we had adopted a different approach, so they were not happy, but now there is no reason to be unhappy. Why is Oli not coming to India?
Oli’s close advisors told the Kathmandu Post last month that they expected India to send an invitation to the new Prime Minister of Nepal as before, but even after four months of assuming office, no formal invitation was received from India. Usually, the Prime Minister of Nepal receives an invitation from New Delhi immediately after assuming office. Oli came to India first after becoming PM for the first time
KP Oli became the PM of Nepal for the first time in August 2015. After this, he visited India in February 2016. A month later, in March, he visited China. Oli has become the PM of Nepal four times so far. He held the post for 10 months in 2015, 40 months in 2018 and three months in 2021. Oli took oath as PM on the fourth of July this year. However, Oli had taken many anti-India steps in his previous tenure. It was during his time that the Nepal government released the controversial map. Apart from this, he also made many anti-India statements. This time, the reason behind not inviting KP Sharma Oli is believed to be that India’s policies regarding Nepal have changed. Airport was built on Chinese loan, now can appeal for loan waiver
The Kathmandu Post has quoted officials as saying that PM Oli will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Li Qiang during the visit. During this, Oli will try to get the Chinese government to waive the loan given to Nepal. China has given Nepal a loan of about 17 thousand crores for Pokhara International Airport. According to the report, earlier on August 23, Nepal’s Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had also appealed to China to waive the loan. He had said that Pokhara International Airport is not earning enough to repay its loan to China. BRI project can also be discussed
Apart from this, Oli can also discuss the BRI project on this tour. There is a controversy regarding its implementation in Nepal. Nepali Congress, an ally in the government, was opposing China’s expensive loan. However, now it is silent on this matter. Earlier, the Prachanda government avoided taking loan from BRI, but now the current government is insisting on taking it forward. According to reports, Nepal and China signed an agreement on the BRI project in 2017. According to this, 9 projects were to be worked on in Nepal with Chinese money, but even after 7 years, no project has been started in Nepal yet. Actually, the previous government wanted China to give money to Nepal in the form of financial aid instead of loan. But China was refusing this. According to an official of the Finance Ministry, China is afraid that if it gives this exemption to Nepal, then other countries will also start demanding loan waiver from it. The tradition of PM visiting India started 64 years ago. According to BBC, for the first time, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had invited Nepal’s Prime Minister Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala to participate in the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 1960. At that time, India had given Nepal an aid of Rs 18 crore. In April this year, Koirala also visited China and met Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung. ——————————– Read this news related to Nepal too… Nepal gave contract of printing notes to a Chinese company: 30 crore copies of 100 rupee note to be printed, 3 Indian areas shown in the map on the note Nepal’s central bank ‘Nepal Rastra Bank’ has given contract of printing new Nepali 100 rupee note to a Chinese company. According to news agency PTI, in the map printed on these notes, India’s Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani areas are shown as part of Nepal. There is a dispute between India and Nepal about this area for about 35 years. Read the full news here…
