October 4: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the government will make efforts to strengthen relation with China during the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal. Prime Minister Oli said that the state visit of the Chinese president will not only strengthen the relation between the two countries but also the people-to-people relationship.

“High-level visits don’t take into account profit or loss. I have given priority to friendship. Both countries will benefit if there is friendship between the two neigbouring countries,” PM Oli told the chief of government-owned media agencies at his official residence in Baluwatar on Thursday.

PM Oli said that Nepal will hold discussions on investment, trade and technology transfer with China during President Xi’s visit most likely in mid-October.

The government has not officially announced the date of the Chinese president’s visit yet. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali said that the government will soon announce the date of the high-profile visit. He said that the authorities of the two countries are currently doing homework to fix the date of the visit.

The Oli government has given high priority to the visit of a Chinese president after two decades. Government sources informed that the visit will focus on more than a dozen agendas including construction of railway, road, tunnel, and hydropower projects as well as transmission lines.

Sources told New Business Age that the government is preparing a list of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for which the Chinese government will provide support.

Bilateral meetings will also be held on upgrading the Kerung-kathmandu road and Tatopani as well as Rasuwa customs points. Likewise, construction of Tokha-Chahare tunnel that connects Kathmandu with Nuwakot and the construction of outer ring road are also in the agenda for talks.

The meeting will also review previous agreements which have not been expedited so far.