Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is visiting China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. On this occasion, China has expanded the forum to an "SCO Plus" format, inviting not only member states but also observer and dialogue partner nations.
Nepal has been a dialogue partner since 2016 and has been seeking to upgrade its status to either observer or full member, though geopolitical complexities have hindered this effort. Full membership would ensure the Nepali Prime Minister's participation in every summit of this major regional bloc and facilitate direct access to leaders from China, Russia, India, Iran, and Central Asian nations.
China's reason for hosting the "SCO Plus" summit is linked to its plan to grandly commemorate the 80th anniversary of its victory over Japan on September 3 and to host as many world leaders as possible for the event. Following the summit, Prime Minister Oli has been invited to observe a massive military parade in Beijing for this anniversary.
On August 30, Oli will fly to Tianjin on a chartered flight of Himalaya Airlines. After attending the summit on August 31 to September 1, he will travel to Beijing on the evening of September 1 or the morning of September 2. The short distance between Tianjin and Beijing is connected by a high-speed bullet train, making the journey possible in just half an hour. This mode of transport was chosen by China to transfer the distinguished guests from the summit to Beijing.
There was a time when the Chinese high-speed train and PM Oli were seen as complementary. Following the 2015 Indian blockade, there was a public demand for a rail link to China. The communist parties in Nepal strongly advocated for a Kerung-Kathmandu railway, even featuring it prominently in their 2017 election manifesto. Oli's vigorous promotion of this project and his post-election visit to Rasuwagadhi, where he famously pointed toward the hills stating the "high-speed train will come from there," created a powerful image. Some leaders even romanticized about having breakfast in Kathmandu and arriving in Beijing by train.
However, the promise to bring the train to Kathmandu within 5-7 years, made in 2017, has now become a subject of satire. The railway is unlikely to materialize in the next 5-7 years. Several major obstacles exist: the detailed project report (DPR) is still not ready, work was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is uncertainty over who will finance the huge investment required, and the route faces extreme geographical complexities through the Himalayas. Even China has not yet completed the rail line up to Kerung from its side.
Consequently, the Nepali people's dream of riding a train to Beijing remains a fantasy. Ironically, a week from now, Prime Minister Oli himself will be riding that very Chinese "high-speed train" to Beijing.
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