After his India visit, China is all set to roll out the red carpet for Nepal's Prime Minister KP Oli.
Nearly one month after returning from New Delhi, Oli is preparing to visit Beijing and sign a petroleum trade deal with Nepal's northern neighbor. Supply Minister Ganesh Man Pun told journalists on Saturday that preparations for the signing of a trade and transit deal between Nepal and China is 'almost complete' and supply of fuel will increase after Oli's return.
After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Miniser Li Keqiang in Beijing, Oli will attend this year's Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Conference in Hainan province.
Oli, accompanied by a 45 member team including Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, Commerce Minister Dipak Bohara and Supply Minister Pun, will be flying to Beijing on 20 March. Some other business leaders are also planning to join the PM on their own dime.
Oli is visiting China at a time when Nepal is still struggling to mend its strained ties with India, which did not welcome the Himalayan nation's constitution, saying Madhesi parties were left out of the process. Nepal-India relations reached the lowest point when New Delhi cut off supplies to the landlocked country in order to force Kathmandu to address Madhesi demands.
After the government partially addressed Madhesi demands, New Delhi rolled out the red carpet for Oli. Moreover, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Nepal's constitution as 'an important achievement' but warned that its success will depend on 'consensus and dialogue' with political dissenters.
During the five months of the Indian blockade, Nepal had sought China's support to ease the fuel crisis that added woes to Nepalis already suffering from the two devastating earthquakes. China won the hearts of Nepalis by donating petrol to a fuel-strapped Nepal. Nepali and Chinese officials also held several rounds of talks to prepare the framework of a historic trade and transit deal.
Nepal, for its part, has already decided to import 30 per cent of its fuel needs from China, lessening its over-dependency on India. Oli is expected to officially ink a deal during his stay in Beijing.