Pathway to brighter future: Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia (5)

Nepal: Sino-Nepal friendship, standing as high and magnificent as the Himalayas

A constructor works on the 12.2 km tunnel of Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (BBDMP) in Surkhet district of Karnali province in western Nepal, on April 16, 2019. (Photo/Xinhua)

Nepal is an essential participant under the BRI and a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). China is Nepal's second-largest trading partner after India. In May 2017, China and Nepal signed an MOU on bilateral cooperation under the framework of the BRI. The BRI projects in Nepal align with the country’s mission of transforming into a land-linked country from a land-locked one. With the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network (THMCN) gradually taking shape, bilateral cooperation on transportation infrastructure, energy, and post-disaster reconstruction has yielded fruitful results, which will help Nepal to play a pivotal role in regional economic development.