China and the Nepali Embassy in Beijing are facing difficulties due to the Nepal government's failure to timely elect a delegation to participate in the 'Boao Forum for Asia'.
The Nepali Embassy is organizing a 'Pre-Investment Summit' as part of preparations for the Nepal Investment Summit 2024 to be held in Kathmandu on April 28-29. This program will be held in Beijing around the same time the Boao Forum will start in the southern province of Hainan, China.
Due to the Nepal government's failure to timely elect the delegation, the Nepali Embassy in Beijing is also facing difficulties in finalizing an official to participate in the program.
The organizers last November had announced that the Boao Forum would be held on March 26-29. The Nepali Embassy is making preparations to organize a Pre-Investment Summit on March 26, the day the Boao Forum kicks off.
Chinese citizens who have invested and are willing to invest in various sectors of Nepal have been invited to the Pre-Investment Summit.
"Executive Director of Investment Board Nepal, Sushil Bhatta, is participating in the 'Pre-Investment Summit'. Prior to the program to be held in Beijing, such type of program will be held in Hong Kong on March 23, in Chengdu on March 25, in Yiwu on March 28, and in Guangzhou on April 11. The other officials of the Board will participate in the programs to be held in these places except Beijing.
Chinese businessmen and investors have been invited to the event. Since the Nepali Embassy is the organizer, the program will be more productive when Ambassador Bishnu Pukar Shrestha attends it. Chinese businessmen and investors also feel honored with the presence of the ambassador.
However, due to the uncertainty of who will represent Nepal at the Boao Forum, it has become uncertain whether Ambassador Shrestha will attend the 'Pre-Investment Summit'. Because, if there is participation from a high political level in Boao from Nepal, he has to accompany the delegation.
"If the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, or Minister leads the Nepali delegation in Boao, then the ambassador should accompany it," Ambassador Shrestha said, "In that situation, the ambassador will not participate in the event in Beijing."
The date of the 'Pre-Investment Summit' was fixed by the embassy before the change in the ruling coalition in Nepal. Earlier, since the Nepali Congress was also a participant in the government, it was expected that a middle-level official would come to participate in the Forum.
In that situation, there was a possibility that Ambassador Shrestha would stay in Beijing for the 'Pre-Investment Summit' and Deputy Head Surendra Yadav would attend the Boao Forum along with the Nepali delegation.
However, a new ruling coalition was formed in Nepal. Instead of the Nepali Congress-Maoist Center alliance, the UML-Maoist Center alliance government was formed.
After the formation of the coalition government with the UML-Maoist Center, the possibility of visits by high-ranking officials has increased, though not the Prime Minister.
"If the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, or the Minister of Foreign Affairs participates in the Boao Forum, the Ambassador has to participate in the Forum," Ambassador Shrestha told Nepalkhabar. If either of them comes to attend the Forum, I will also have to go to Boao."
As the Boao Forum will be inaugurated on the same day as the Pre-Investment Summit in Beijing, Ambassador Shrestha can't attend both programs.
"We have invited a large number of Chinese investors and businessmen, so there is no chance to change the default date," Deputy Chief of Mission Yadav said.
Although the responsibilities are shared, the embassy officials plan to participate in both the Boao Forum and the Beijing Pre-Summit, with only 12 days left before the Forum starts, the Embassy is feeling uncomfortable as the Nepal government has not yet decided who will represent Nepal.
According to Ambassador Shrestha, this situation of uncertainty will not linger any longer.
"Because in a day or two it will be decided who will lead the Nepali delegation in Boao," he said, "Then we will also decide who will go to Boao and who will stay in Beijing for the Pre-Investment Summit."
