Centre for Social Inclusion and Federalism (CESIF) hosted a seminar – “BRI and Nepal-China Relations” at Everest Hotel, Baneshwor, Kathmandu on March 24, 2022. 



In the course of the seminar, three major themes were discussed by three separate panels – i) BRI and Geopolitics, ii) Nepal-China Cross-Border Relations, and iii) Nepal-China Trade, Transit, and Treaty Agreement. Mr Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, Mr Arpan Gelal and Ms Shraddha Ghimire presented CESIF’s findings on each of those three themes at the beginning of the respective sessions. 

Discussant panel of the first session included CESIF’s Research Director Mr Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, journalist Mr Anil Giri, Professor Lok Raj Baral, security expert Mr Geja Sharma Wagle and Ambassador Dinesh Bhattarai.

Discussant panel of the second session “Nepal-China Cross-Border Relations” included - CESIF’s Research Officer Arpan Gelal, senior journalist J B Pun Magar, Chairperson of Himalayan Health and Environmental Services Ngima Tendup Sherpa, noted author Amish Raj Mulmi and the director of Centre for South Asia Studies (CSAS), Dr Nischal Nath Pande.

CESIF’s Research Associate Ms Shraddha Ghimire presented her research on Nepal-China Transit, Transport and Connectivity. The themes included in the presentation were trade history with China, an analysis of the Transit Transport Agreement, impacts of the soft economic embargo along the Nepal-China border, and suggestions to the government. The panellists of the session consisted of Mr Purushottam Ojha, Dr Achyut Wagle, Prof. Bijendra Shakya, Mr. Rabi Sainju and Amb. Vijay Kant Karna.