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Kathmandu Thursday May 17, 2001 Jestha 04, 2058.
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Chinese
PM ends visit, leaves for Maldives
Post Report
KATHMANDU, May 16 – After completing his
three-day official visit to Nepal, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji flew to the Maldives on
Wednesday on the next leg of his four-nation South Asian tour. Prime Minister Girija
Prasad Koirala, senior political and government leaders as well as heads of foreign
diplomatic missions bade Rongji a warm farewell.
During the visit here, Rongji oversaw the
signing of six separate agreements while at the same time reaching a host of
understandings on promoting trade between the close neighbours. The agreements are
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agriculture, letters of exchange on polytechnic
institute at Banepa, hospital for civil servants in the Capital, Syabrubensi-Rasuwagadi
new road link, agreements on economic and technical cooperation and avoidance of double
taxation and evasion of fiscal evasion.
Under the economic and technical cooperation,
the Chinese are providing a grant assistance of about Rs 720 million.
Prime Minister Koirala, according to a release
issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), requested for Chinese assistance in the
construction of the proposed Baglung-Beni-Jomsom road. Premier Rongji stated that the
Chinese would positively consider the road project once the Syabrubensi-Rasuwagadi road is
completed.
Besides the six agreements, another significant
outcome of the discussions was the Chinese nod to Nepal opening a consulate in Shanghai to
facilitate visas for the Chinese tourists visiting Nepal. An MoU has already been signed
by the countries on tourism when Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation visited
China recently. China has already put Nepal 9th on its list of outbound tourist
destinations. Both the countries are likely to increase the airlinks between them. The
MoFA release says that China concurred with Nepal’s proposal on this.
The MoFA release also states that Nepal urged
China to grant preferential treatment to the Nepalese products in the Chinese markets.
Rongji informed that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation would
be sending a delegation to look into the possibility of importing more Nepalese goods in
China.
Nepal also raised the issue of the visa problems
of Nepalis visiting Hong Kong. PM Rongji remarked that since Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) was autonomous in authority and had its own laws, the
Chinese government could not interfere in the matter. "But we will convey
Nepal’s concern to HKSAR." He suggested to Nepal to raise the matter directly
with the HKSAR, adding, "Of, course we will help them in the matter."
Until 1998, Nepalis received "visa on
arrival" basis in Hong Kong but since then it was stopped.
The two countries decided to work closely in the
international arena like the UNO and the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a
release issued by the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist).
Nepal and China both aspire to become the members of this world trade regime.
Premier Rongji extended an invitation to PM
Koirala to pay a visit to China which the latter accepted. Rongji was here on an
invitation extended by Koirala .
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji spent his second day
in Nepal visiting top government personalities, business leaders and also had an audience
with His Majesty King Birendra at the Royal Palace on Tuesday. Speaker of the House of
Representatives Taranath Ranabhat and Chairman of the National Assembly Dr Mohammad
Mohasin and leader of the opposition Madhav Kumar Nepal were among the prominent
personalities who paid a courtesy call to the Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji yesterday.
The Chinese delegation also visited Patan Durbar
on Tuesday afternoon.
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