Claims of Nepal Supporting China’s GSI Are Misleading: Khatiwada

Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s economic and development advisor Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada has clarified that Nepal has not made any agreement to support China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) during the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Oli and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Dr. Khatiwada, who was present in the meeting, said Nepal remains committed to its constitution and non-aligned foreign policy and will not be part of any country’s security strategy. The talks took place on August 30 (14 Bhadra) in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus Summit.

He further said that claims in a Chinese press release suggesting Nepal supported GSI are false. “The purpose of Prime Minister Oli’s visit was mainly to attend the SCO Plus Summit. Normally, no agreements or understandings are signed during such sideline meetings, and none were signed this time either. It is completely wrong to say Nepal supported GSI when there was no such agreement,” he clarified.

According to Khatiwada, the two sides discussed prioritizing the implementation of past agreements under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), along with cooperation in areas such as connectivity, industrial and infrastructure development, health, agriculture, trade, tourism, investment, science and technology, sports, disaster management, people-to-people relations, and poverty reduction. He also said China has shown readiness to support Nepal’s economic and social transformation.

Oli to Attend SCO Summit in China Ahead of India Visit

kathmandu- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will visit China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin before heading to India on September 16. This will be his second China visit since becoming prime minister last year.

Oli is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders. He is also likely to address the summit as a distinguished speaker, where he will push for Nepal’s long-pending request for observer status in the regional bloc.

The visit is seen as a strategic step to strengthen Nepal’s role in fostering closer cooperation and building strong ties with key countries in the region.