Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane has instructed a 20-member delegation leaving for China on Sunday to focus on bilateral relations and avoid raising issues concerning other countries during its visit.
Lamichhane gave the advice while meeting the lawmakers ahead of their 12-day trip. The Communist Party of China invited the delegation, which is led by RSP General Secretary Bipin Acharya, and is arranging for the visit.
“China and India are equally important for us. When discussing one neighbour, let us not bring up the other,” Ganesh Parajuli, deputy leader of the RSP parliamentary party, quoted Lamichhane as saying.
Lawmaker Lima Adhikari, a member of the team, said Lamichhane had advised them not to bring a third country in discussions between Nepal and China. “You should remain focused on bilateral issues,” she quoted the party chief as instructing.
The RSP president asked the lawmakers to study the Chinese Communist Party’s relationship with the RSP, China’s development experience and reforms in different sectors. He urged them to learn about disaster response and reconstruction, the Chinese economy, artificial intelligence, special economic zones, robotics and electric vehicles.
“He asked us to learn about China’s policy experience in these areas and help build continuity and trust in Nepal-China relations,” said Adhikari.
The delegation was also asked to inform the Chinese about the RSP’s formation and its commitment to social democracy, adopted as the party’s ideological direction at its general convention. Lamichhane wanted them to understand how China’s provincial and local governments function, how the party and government coordinate, and how the CPC runs its party school and political training programmes.
Parajuli said the party chair had urged the lawmakers to focus on party-to-party engagement rather than duplicate the work of government agencies. “Despite differences in geography and political systems, we should study China’s development models and consider how they could be adapted for Nepal,” he said.
The CPC had earlier hosted an RSP delegation led by Vice-chair Swarnim Wagle, whose visit was cut short.
The delegation will visit Chinese provinces, industrial zones and local government institutions, and hold meetings in Beijing. It comprises Acharya, deputy general secretary Hari Dhakal, Parajuli, chief whip Kabindra Burlakoti and 16 other lawmakers. They are scheduled to return on November 26.
The visit coincides with Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s preparations for a bilateral visit to India, expected to begin on November 22. Shah, also the RSP parliamentary party leader, met the China-bound lawmakers at his office in Singha Durbar on Friday. He urged them to raise the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese investment projects in Nepal, tourism and economic assistance, while keeping Nepal’s national interests at the centre of discussions.
Shah advised them to handle the BRI issue carefully amid debate over its implementation and financing in Nepal. He suggested inquiring if loans for projects, including airports, could be converted into grants through future bilateral negotiations.
“The funds cannot be converted from loans into grants in a single visit. But raise the issue in a way that could make such an arrangement possible and beneficial in future talks,” participants quoted Shah as saying.
He also asked the delegation to discuss why projects agreed with China had remained stalled in Nepal. “Several projects agreed with China remain stuck here. Raise their implementation with senior officials,” he said.
Jaya Singh Mahara is a reporter with a decade of experience covering parliamentary affairs and political developments.
