OldChinaHand
Paudyal’sfirstvisittoChinawasin1999,asamemberofNepal’svisitingdelegation.Duringthattrip,hemadeatourofmanyChinesecitiesandwasdeeplyimpressedbyChina’srapiddevelopment.From2003to2007,PaudyalworkedasconsulattheConsulateGeneralofNepalinLhasa.HethenreturnedtoNepalandhassinceservedinmanydepartmentsofthegovernmentofNepal,includingtheMinistryofTourism,CivilAffairs,Information,andForeignAffairs.Duringthattime,hehashadabundantcontactsanddealingswiththeChinesegovernment.
AlthoughhehasbeentheAmbassadortoChinaforonlyseveralmonths,PaudyalhasproventobeagenuineoldChinahand.Duringhisshorttimeinoffice,Paudyalhasorganized13activitieswithvariousChinesecitiesthemedoneconomyandtrade,investment,andculturalexchanges.TheyincludeNepal’sNewYearCulturePromotion,Nepal’scelebrationoftheBuddha’sbirthday,theinvestmentandcommercefair,andthevisitofChinesemonkstoLumbini.
“IhavehadcloserelationswithChinaforabout20years,andwitnessedChina’simpressiveeconomicdevelopment.IampleasedtoseeChina’sprogress.ChinaandNepalaregoodneighbors,andtheirbilateralrelationshavesubstantialbearingonthestabilityandprosperityofbothnations.Inthepastseveralmonths,wehaveorganizedseveralbigeventsandactivitiestopromoteeconomicandculturalexchangesbetweenourtwocountries.IbelievethattheChina-Nepalrelationshipwillimproveintandemwiththerisinglivingstandardsofimpoverishedpeoplethatstemfromamoredevelopedsociety,”Paudyalsaid.
PaudyalrecentlybeganlearningChinese,andcanuseeverydaygreetingsandspeakafewsimplesentences.Heusesthesocialmediaapponhiscellphoneandbooksonlinecourses.Wheneverworkkeepshimfromhisonlinestudy,healwaysfindsthetimetomakeitup.
LiftingSouthAsiaoutofPoverty
“IhavekeptacloseeyeontheBeltandRoadInitiativesinceitsproposalbyChinesePresidentXiJinping,andaminterestedinitsprinciplesandimpactonChinaandSoutheastAsia,”PaudyaltoldChinaToday.Inhisopinion,theinitiativeisaninclusiveframeworkwhichcanbringopportunitiestoandmeettheneedsofbothNepalandChina.
“Nepalgotleftbehindduetolong-termpoliticalreform.Weareindesperateneedofinfrastructure,food,andtechnology,aswellasimprovementsthatenableustostimulatetheeconomyandenhancepeople’slivingstandards.ChinaoffershelptoneighboringcountriesandtoadevelopingNepal,anditspeoplearethankfulforthis,”Paudyalsaid.
China’sTibetAutonomousRegionisadjacenttoIndia,Bhutan,andNepal.ItisanimportantwindowforChina’slinktoSouthAsia,andplaysavitalroleintheBeltandRoadInitiative.ThegovernmentofNepalandtheChinesegovernmentareplanningtobuildaneconomicbeltintheHimalayanregioninajointefforttoalleviatepovertyinSouthAsiancountries.
“Chinahasmadegreatprogressinpovertyalleviationwhichsetsagoodexampleforothercountries.WeshouldlearnfromtheChineseexperience,andthroughcooperationwithintheBeltandRoadframeworkwecouldmakefulluseofthenationalresourcestoliftpeopleoutofpoverty,”Paudyalsaid.
Nepal’sVicePremierandFinancialMinisterledadelegation,whichincludedtheirtransportationandcommunicationministers,totheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperationheldinBeijingonMay14.AtitsconclusionthedelegationsignedanMOUwithChinaandapackageofagreements.TheyincludedaninfrastructureconstructiondealworthofbillionsofrupeeswhichisexpectedtogivefreshimpetustoChinaNepalcooperation.
Paudyalremarkedthatchallengesalsoexist.“Nepalhasbeenillprepared.ButwerealizewemustseizethisopportunitybecausethelivingstandardsofpeopleinNepalareinsoreneedofrapidimprovement.”
However,Paudyalisoptimisticaboutthefuture,becauseNepalhasmadegreateconomicachievementsduetoitslong-lastingpoliticalreform.“IfwecancatchupandboardtheBeltandRoadInitiativetrain,Nepalissuretodevelopfaster!”
MoreExchanges,BetterUnderstanding
Paudyalwentontosaythat,besideseconomicopportunities,theBeltandRoadInitiativealsopromotesculturalcooperationandpeople-to-peopleexchanges.“Cooperativepotentialexistsatalllevels,fromgovernmentstonon-governmentalorganizationsandtheprivatesector.Wewelcomewithanopenmindvariouscooperationmodelsthatusherinawin-winfuture.”
OnNepal’sNewYear’sDay,theEmbassyofNepalinBeijingorganizedabigculturalshowinwesternFujianwhichattractedmorethan500spectators.MoreculturaleventsintroducingNepalareplannedinmanyChinesecities,forexample,Beijing,Chengdu,Lanzhou,Hangzhou,andGuangzhou.ChinesemediawillalsobeinvitedtoNepaltomeetitslocalresidents.PaudyalsaidthattheEmbassyiswillingtoofferasmuchhelpaspossibletoanyChineseorganizationthatwishestoholdbilateralactivities.“China-Nepalbilateralactivitieswillboostpeople-to-peopleexchangeswhichbreakdownbarriers,avoidcollisionsandavoidtheblindpursuitofeconomicinterests.”
Inconclusion,PaudyalvoicedhispersonalinvitationtoallChinesepeople,saying:“TherearemanyplacesIwouldliketorecommendtoChinesetourists,andtheyalldeserveyourexploration.”HespokeofNepal’sintroductionofanewtourismplanwhichguidesvisitorsarounditslocalvillageswheretheycanstaywithlocalfarmers,experiencetheirlifestyleandparticipateintheirdailyactivitiesfromdawntodark.ThiswouldbethechancetolivethelifeofaNepallocal.
ChineseandNepalesegueststakepartintheribboncuttingceremonyofthePhotos&BooksExhibitiononJune6duringthetwo-dayChineseTibetanCultureForumheldinKathmandu,Nepal.