Nearly a year after the earthquake, Nepal's major trade point with China reopened temporarily on Friday.
According to Dibya Raj Pokharel of the Tatopani customs office, some of the 200 containers stranded for the last one year in the Chinese border town entered into Nepal on Friday itself. "The remaining trucks are also expected to cross the border within two weeks," he said.
During his Beijing visit last month, Prime Minister KP Oli had urged Chinese premier Li Keqiang to reopen the Tatopani trade point.
After the earthquake, China had closed its customs office at the Tatopani trade point. Even when the landslide debris that blocked the Kodari highway was cleared, the Tatopani check-point remained closed.
Nepali officials are not sure if China will keep the Tatopani trade point open after the stranded containers are sent to Nepal. "Even after the earthquake, we have not removed our office from Tatopani and we want to keep this check point in operation," said Sushil Dhungana, Director General of the Department of Customs. "But I am not sure what the Chinese want."
It has been reported that China is not interested to reopen the Tatopani check-point because of anti-China Tibetan activities.
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