‘China’s Emergence in Nepal’s Infrastructure: Status, Issu
Participants at a seminar in Kathmandu on Friday discussed China’s involvement in infrastructure projects in Nepal, its issues and challenges.
The discussion brought into account the nexus of corruption that Chinese infrastructural projects had built, their inclination towards party-to-party relations, especially the left political forces, and the need for Nepal’s political and bureaucratic front to work together upon its negotiation techniques, the organiser the Centre for Social Inclusion and Federalism said in a statement.
The interaction was held following the launch of the book ‘China’s Emergence in Nepal’s Infrastructure: Status, Issues and Challenges’ authored by noted writer Amish Raj Mulmi, senior journalist Anil Giri, Co-founder of The Araniko Project Raunab Singh Khatri, CESIF’s Research and Program Coordinator Arpan Gelal and CESIF’s Researcher Milan Acharya.
Presenting the key findings and analysis of the book, author Mulmi discussed the mechanisms of the Chinese infrastructure engagement in Nepal and provided a succinct comparison of the infrastructural investment by China, India and Japan in Nepal, in which he commended Japan’s debt relief practices.
Also speaking, former secretary Lal Shanker Ghimire said the infrastructural funding is no different and must be viewed from that same lens.
He further said that a lack of proper negotiation has led to some of the unfair deals, adding that this lack of negotiation stems from the inferiority complex and lower bargaining capacity of Nepali bureaucrats.
Also speaking, Sucheta Pyakuryal, director of the Center for Governance and Academic Affairs at IIDS, said Nepal is not in a scary position given the status of economic indicators.
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