Nepal looks to China for trade amid India hiccups

[TaiShang]

Nepal looks to China for trade amid India hiccups
Posted on: 08:12 AM IST Sep 26, 2015

Kathmandu: Nepal has urged China to reopen the two trading points on the Sino-Nepal border at the earliest amid problems along the border with India, media reports said on Friday.

Amid a diplomatic standoff with New Delhi over Nepal's new constitution and continuous unrest in the country's southern border with India, Kathmandu is now mulling an alternative to do business with China.

India and China are landlocked Nepal's two giant neighbours.

Nepal is surrounded by India from three sides and China on the north. Nepal's over 90% trade and economic activities are with India as nationals from both sides do not need visa to travel to each other's country.

According to Nepali media reports on Friday, with the supply of essential commodities being hit by disturbances at major custom points in the southern plains, the government has urged Beijing to reopen trade routes that have remained out of operation following the April 25 earthquake.

Officials from the ministry of commerce and supplies of Nepal held talks with Chinese embassy officials here on Wednesday and Thursday.

They requested Chinese assistance for an early reopening of custom points at Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi, two key trading points between Nepal and China.

"With major festivals like Diwali and Dussehra around the corner, we have requested China to resume border operation as soon as possible," said Naindra Prasad Upadhyaya, secretary at the ministry.

He added that the Chinese authorities had responded positively.

The Rasuwagadhi route came into formal operation in December 2014. Since the April earthquake, the trade routes of Barabise-Tatopani-Khasa and Nuwakot-Rasuwagadhi-Kerung have remained closed.

According to the ministry, the Chinese government has been undertaking road repair on its side of the border.

"We are ready to open the border as soon as the Chinese side completes work on their end."

Upadhyaya said a meeting of the Central Monitoring Committee of Nepal on Thursday also decided to ask China for speedy road repair in Kerung (Rasuwagadhi).

The meeting also decided to coordinate with the ministry of physical infrastructure and transport to clear roadblocks on the Araniko highway in order to request the Chinese side to reopen the Tatopani customs point.

The initiative comes at the time when supplies from India have been affected by strikes in the Tarai region for the past 40 days.

In addition, tighter customs clearance and other delays reportedly from the Indian side after the promulgation of Nepal's new constitution have magnified the problem.

The current food stock in Nepal is expected to last two months, according to the government.

Nepal imports readymade garments, footwear, cosmetics, machinery parts and hardware, fruits and electronics from China.

 

[TaiShang]

Nepal asks China to reopen trade points to ease supply
Published: September 30, 2015


People queuing up at Nepal Army’s Ripumardini Petrol Pump at Bhadrakali to fill fuel in their vehicles on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: Naresh Shrestha

KATHMANDU: The government has sought cooperation of the Chinese government in reopening its trading points at the Nepal-China border at the earliest.

In a meeting held at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies in Singha Durbar today, Ngaindra Prasad Upadhyay, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, urged the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Wu Chuntai for China’s positive intervention in facilitating trade with re-operation of the closed trade points.

The two key trading points with China, Rasuwagadhi Trading Point in Rasuwa and Tatopani Trading Point in Sindhupalchok district, have been closed following the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks.

Emerging from the meeting, Upadhyay told the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, “We have made a request with the Chinese government for their cooperation in reopening the closed transit points with China and to help ease off the import of the essentials to Nepal on the onset of biggest festivals in Nepal.”

The request has been made at the time when supplies from India have been affected by agitations in the Tarai region for over 40 days.

In response, Chinese Ambassador Chuntai assured that the Chinese sides were effortful to this end. He expressed his confidence that the trading would be easier in few days.

 

[AndrewJin]

India is a curse to its neighbours.

 

[Pangu]

Well, all the trouble caused for having an independent & sovereign enactment of nation's new constitution? WTF is wrong with Nepal's southern neighbor?

 

[TaiShang]

India is a curse to its neighbours.

Please note that the news is from an Indian mouthpiece:

India's neighbors hate the country for its blatant interference in their own domestic affairs.

***

Nepal’s big 3 parties unite against India

India's belated bid for a role in Nepal's constitution-making process has united the landlocked nation's top mainstream parties as never before.

Shedding their inherent differences, Nepali Congress (NC), considered closest to New Delhi, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) have stood rock solid in their resistance to India's efforts to customize their country's new constitution to its requirements. These three parties have an overwhelming majority in the 601-member constituent assembly. New Delhi is sympathetic to the demands of Madhesis (Maithili, Bhojpuri, Avadhi, Hindi and Urdu-speaking people) for more representation and autonomy.

"Delhi seems to have lost much of its goodwill in the rest of Nepal by supporting only one section of the population. The Nepali people will take a long time to get over this," rued a Nepali diplomat.

READ ALSO: Nepal turns to UN over 'India's blockade' of trade point

Prior to this, NC, founded in Kolkata in 1946, had never been in conflict with India. It had rather been party to almost all treaties and agreements with New Delhi that Communists found loaded in favour of India. On the contrary, CPN-UML and UCPN-M take to the streets against India at the drop of a hat.

Two former prime ministers, Sher Bahadur Deuba (NC) and Madhav Kumar Nepal (CPN-UML), have asked for an end to what they call "India's undeclared blockade". Khadga Prasad Oli (UML), who is tipped to become Nepal's next PM, too has strongly objected to the closure of supply points to Nepal.

Signaling further hardening of Nepal's position, Oli has opposed incumbent PM Sushil Koirala's recommendations for constitutional amendments to accommodate some of the issues raised by Madhesis and other disgruntled groups. Koirala called for such changes a little before he put in his papers to pave the way for the selection of a new prime minister. "These recommendations are only for show," Oli, who hails from Jhapa bordering Darjeeling district, told media in Kathmandu.

As Nepal slides into chaos over the Madhesi protests, dissident UCPN-M leader and former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has raked up the debate on the nature of Nepali nationalism vis-a-vis India. Regarded as one of Nepal's finest Communist ideologues, Bhattarai quit UCPN-M days after the constituent assembly passed the constitution, which he too had supported.

Bhattarai explained that he would fight for the cause of Madhesis and Tharus, who mainly live in the Terai bordering Bihar and UP. During their "people's war" that lasted 10 years till 2006, the Maoists had promised autonomy to all major ethnic groups, including Madhesis and Tharus. He said his campaign would be on the basis of "progressive nationalism".

READ ALSO: Concern over growing anti-India sentiment in Nepal

For decades, the Nepalis are caught in conflict over the question of nationalism. What communists and former royalists define as "Nepali nationalism", many in NC and Madhesi parties dismiss as "anti-Indiaism". Communists, both mainstream and underground, oppose India-Nepal treaties on water resources and trade, accusing Delhi of turning Nepal into a captive market. They want abrogation of the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship 1950, saying it benefits New Delhi more than their country.

Part of Nepali opposition stems from their perceived fear of what they call New Delhi's "unpredictable behaviour". They find India either condescending or insensitive. Many point out the sudden swing in India's policy in the last three months. They wondered why India was punishing them hard when they were making their constitution their way, barely months after PM Narendra Modi's visit generated unprecedented bonhomie between the two countries. Lately, Madhesis' dependence on India to settle their disputes with Kathmandu has added more to the hill compatriots' insecurity.

READ ALSO: Madhesi border blockade sparks anti-India feelings in Nepal

Many Nepali entrepreneurs recalled how India succumbed to pressure from its own business lobby and half-heartedly implemented trade concessions given by the I K Gujral government in the 1990s. Another issue that has always rattled the Nepalis is New Delhi's objection to the import of Chinese weapons by their country in 1988. This was followed by the closure of 20 of the 22 entry points after India rejected Nepal's proposal to have two separate trade and transit treaties. Many years later, India grudgingly changed its stand and allowed Kathmandu to buy weapons from other countries to fight the Maoists.

 

[hussain0216]

Its the responsibility of all south nations to help Nepal against indian aggression and hegemony

 

[HimalyanKingdom]

This is basically due to some internal arising conflict out of back channel talks.

1)India wanted them to pass a resolution in Parliament making Nepal a hindu state

2)the MP's played the double game with India, fooling the people of Nepal too.

3)India creating trouble for parties in upcoming elections.

This is what is going on.

 

[AnnoyingOrange]

Wrong to blame India for blockade on the border: Nepal party

The Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NPS) on Tuesday criticised the local media reports and other people who blamed the Indian counterpart for its involvement in the blockade of several freight trucks on the border.

“The blockade has been done by Madhesi people. The people of Madhesh have sat on the border. This is being done to malign India by anti-India people in Nepal and it won’t affect our relationship with India, there is nothing to worry about,” President NPS, Rajendra Mahto told ANI.

Mahato also said there was a wrong propaganda being spread against India in Nepal and that the Nepal media was projecting wrong news deliberately, adding that India had nothing to do with the blockade.

“This has been done earlier also that a section of people in Nepal have accused India of its involvement in the internal issues,” he added.

When asked whether India was helping Madhesi’s in their protest on border, Mahato said “India is only providing security to their freight carriers as there is no security from the Nepal side but there was no help by the other side in the blockade.”

However, Nepal’s Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahant refuted the reports that Nepal was to redirect trade with China after undeclared blockade by India, saying “We can’t fully redirect our trade with India to China due to geographical difficulties.” “It is not possible to redirect trade to China immediately,” Mahat told to the local media.

Several freight trucks, including some fuel tankers, which were stranded on the Indian side for over 11 days, entered the Nepali side through different border check-points on October 4.

Wrong to blame India for blockade on the border: Nepal party

But people will never learn...

 

[TaiShang]

Anti-India protests erupt in Nepal as fuel rationing bites| Reuters

 

[HimalyanKingdom]

Anti-India protests erupt in Nepal as fuel rationing bites| Reuters

Anti India protest by specific party, does not generalize the people of Nepal. They are our relatives we will solve it. Supply will go to them , as we know what they like to have for dinner, at least not chao chao chowmene.

 

[Huan]

Is India drunk on power or something?

 

[HimalyanKingdom]

Is India drunk on power or something?

The Member of Parliaments of Nepal fooled the people of Nepal. Now putting blame on India.

 

[TaiShang]

Will establish link with China through road if blockade on India border doesn't end: Nepal

Nepalese deputy PM and home minister, Bamdev Gautam told dna in an interview that it is keeping its options open and will not bow to any pressure.

• 
• Nepalese people and Madhesi party leaders block a bridge in Birgunj, a town on the border with India, around 300 kilometers (200 miles) east of Kathmandu on Friday PTI

Upping the ante, Nepal said it is looking at establishing contacts with Chinathrough land route and with other countries through air if the blockade on India border does not end soon.

Nepalese deputy PM and home minister,Bamdev Gautam told dna in an interview that it is keeping its options open and will not bow to any pressure.

“It is true that India is a strong country and a big economy but to live we will have to make alternative arrangements. It is within our rights to have alternative arrangements… Nepal has never bowed down to anyone and will not bow even now. We will establish contact with China through land and with other countries through air to get the essential supplies,” said Guatam.

 

[大汉奸柳传志]

What India does to Nepal is straight out colonialism，they don‘t even try to hide it.

Why a country which suffered from centuries of colonization end up doing the same to others？@Bussard Ramjet

 

[kankan326]

The Member of Parliaments of Nepal fooled the people of Nepal. Now putting blame on India.

Why it was India who punished Nepal if its member of parliaments did something wrong? Is India international police?