Chinese and Indian leaders have been wanting to hold talks with Dahal on the latest political development in Nepal and the govt’s future plans since Oli’s visit to the two neighbours

Kathmandu August 9

Nepal Communist Party Co-chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be visiting India and China in September to convey to the two neighbours the new government’s priorities and push for Nepal-India-China trilateral cooperation and connectivity to realise the goals of economic development and prosperity.

Former Prime Minister Dahal will embark on a five-day India visit on September 7, where he will be holding meetings with the Indian leadership, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, communist party leaders and others. He will return from India on September 12.

“During his India visit, Dahal will hold discussions with Indian leaders on various issues such as political, economic and bilateral relations,” an NCP leader told The Himalayan Times.

Dahal, who had met Modi during the latter’s visit in May, had last visited India in September 2016 after assuming the office of the prime minister.

Following the India visit, Dahal will leave for China on September 17 on a week-long visit at the invitation of the Communist Party of China.

In China, Dahal will meet top leaders, including President Xi Jinping, where he will discuss issues related to trade and transit, projects under the belt and road initiative, and reopening of the Tatopani border point, and China’s development and governance system, according to the NCP (NCP) leader.

Dahal had last visited China in March 2017, when he had met Chinese leaders, including President Xi.

Nepal had signed a memorandum of understanding for the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017 when Dahal was Nepal’s prime minister.

During the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit held in Goa, India, in October 2016, Dahal had held a ‘rare and pleasant’ meeting with Indian PM Modi and Chinese President Xi and Dahal had then said both the leaders were positive about the trilateral strategic cooperation and partnership between the three countries.

Although China is positive about the trilateral cooperation idea (evident in the fact that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been repeatedly promoting it), India has so far remained mum on the concept.

Dahal has also been repeatedly saying that trilateral partnership between India, Nepal and China would result in nothing but a prosperous region.

According to the NCP (NCP) leader, Dahal strongly believes Nepal could not afford to remain under-developed, poor and backward when its two giant neighbours are growing by leaps and bounds, and an economically sound and prosperous Nepal could address security concerns of both India and China.

The NCP (NCP) leader said the Chinese and Indian sides wanted to hold talks with Dahal on Nepal’s political development and the government’s future plans after Oli’s visit to the two countries.

Meanwhile, the NCP (NCP) Secretariat today decided to send a delegation to China from September 12 to 19 under the leadership of Narayan Kaji Shrestha at the invitation of the Communist Party of China. The visit is aimed at sharing views and boosting coordination between the two communist parties. The delegation will also study the organisational structure of the Chinese Communist Party, the socialist model of China and development model.