Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song said that the Pokhara International Airport was constructed under the BRI project. Speaking at a program organized after the Sichuan Airlines plane from Chendu landed for the first time at the Pokhara International Airport on Wednesday, the Chinese ambassador claimed that the airport was built under the BRI project. Ambassador Chen said that the Pokhara International Airport was designed and constructed by the Chinese company.

“The Pokhara International Airport was constructed by China. This was constructed under the BRI project,” he said.

Although Nepal signed the BRI project in 2017, it has been controversial as it is not clear whether it is a grant or a loan. Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during a meeting with China's State Councilor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi had said that it would not be acceptable for Nepal if the projects under the BRI are loan. The Nepal government has been urging the Chinese government to clarify whether the BRI Project is a loan or a grant. Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu had claimed that the Pokhara International Airport is a project under the BRI.