Shrestha’s China visit: Symbolism over substance

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who is on an official visit to China, has completed his key meetings in Beijing.

He engaged in bilateral discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, covering a wide array of bilateral matters. Additionally, senior leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) also met with Shrestha to explore avenues for strengthening party-to-party relations. While Shrestha’s visit held symbolic significance, no tangible agreement was reached on specific issues. However, the Chinese side emphasized the significance of Shrestha selecting China for his inaugural foreign trip after taking charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Based on official statements issued post-meetings and scrutiny of Chinese media coverage, it appears that China primarily raised two concerns during the discussions: The advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Nepal’s reaffirmed commitment to its security interests. Despite China's push for Nepal to sign a BRI implementation plan, no progress was made during Shrestha's visit. Nevertheless, Shrestha conveyed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s assurance that Nepal would soon sign the document.

Foreign Minister Shrestha also provided reassurances to the Chinese side regarding Nepal’s steadfast adherence to the ‘one-China policy’, particularly in light of the recent Taiwanese election results. China has been seeking reaffirmation of this policy from neighboring countries since the victory of William Lai Ching-te from the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan’s election earlier this year. Prime Minister Dahal was the first leader from South Asia to make a statement on the same issue

In his meeting with Shrestha, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang emphasized China’s commitment to Nepal as a friendly neighbor and strategic partner, highlighting Nepal’s importance in China’s neighborhood diplomacy. He expressed China's readiness to strengthen the traditional friendship, bolster political mutual trust and collaborate on high-quality Belt and Road Cooperation.

The Chinese side also raised the issue of implementing agreements reached during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal in 2019. Yi noted the historic significance of Xi’s visit in elevating bilateral relations and praised the success of Dahal’s visit to China the previous year, which led to essential consensus on enhancing China-Nepal relations.

Foreign Minister Shrestha said the new government of Nepal attaches great importance to China. He reiterated Nepal’s willingness to collaborate on advancing the BRI and joining the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative. 

Notably, there was no mention of China’s Global Security Initiatives and Global Civilizational Initiatives during this visit, despite discussions on these topics in previous years. The formation of a new coalition government has sparked interest in Beijing, hinting at potential progress in bilateral relations.