Nepal could benefit from joining China's OBOR initiative, says leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara

Kathmandu: Nepal could benefit a lot from joining China’s ambitious ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative, the country’s deputy prime minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Thursday said. China had sent a draft proposal on OBOR to Nepal late last year. After a month-long consultation, the Nepalese side had sent back the draft to Beijing with some changes. [caption id=“attachment_3497929” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The OBOR aims to enhance connectivity and cooperation among countries, primarily between China and the rest of Asia and Europe through land as well as maritime routes. Mahara, also the foreign minister, said that the Himalayan nation can benefit a lot from joining the OBOR initiative of China and its economic prosperity. Mahara was speaking during the inauguration of the newly established ‘Chinese Tourist Guide Association of Nepal,’ an umbrella body of all the Nepali guides working for the Chinese tourists under different travel and trekking agencies. “Government of China accords high priority to Nepal-China cooperation on tourism promotion,” said Chinese ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong and underlined the need for collaboration between tourism agencies of the two countries for promoting tourism sector. The number of Chinese tourists arriving in Nepal has jumped from just 8,000 in 2001 to 100,000 in 2016, she pointed out and added that the credit for this goes to the growing number of Chinese language guides produced by Nepal. She advised Nepal government and other stakeholders to focus on security of tourists, infrastructure development, training more guides and publicity and to carry out promotional activities to attract more tourists in the country. China is the second largest source of tourists coming to Nepal after India. “In recent years, Chinese tourists have sustained Nepal’s tourism industry. Realising its importance in contributing to the national economy, Chinese language guides are moving forward in an organised manner for the promotion of the tourism sector,” said Apulal Awale, president of Nepal Chinese Guide Association. The organisation has more than 300 members as Chinese speaking guides.