BRI and border issues should be raised during foreign minister's China visit: Khanal

KATHMANDU, August 9: A senior leader of the ruling CPN (Unified Socialist) and former prime minister Jhalanath Khanal has said that all parties should be equally distributed seats in the coming elections.

On Tuesday, he reached Baluwatar to inform Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba about the various reports being submitted in India about the quality of Nepali tea and said this after meeting with the prime minister.

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Khanal said that since each party has its own position, it is necessary to distribute seats in the upcoming provincial and federal elections keeping in mind the 2018 elections and the recently concluded local elections. He said that if the parties participating in the alliance are insulted, there will be no synergy and that they should move forward by finding a solution that distributes seats equally and rationally among the parties in the alliance.

Khanal said that Dr Narayan Khadka, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, is going to visit China and this is an important visit. He said that during the foreign minister’s visit, Nepal should stress on the BRI agreement with China and the border problems and possible agreement. Saying that Nepal supports one-China policy, Khanal added that Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet are the integral parts of China. He also said that China can claim these areas any time it likes. He emphasized that the foreign minister should take initiatives to take proper benefits from the assistance that Nepal can get from China during his visit to China. Former prime minister Khanal said that the Nepal-China border dispute will continue to arise from time to time and expressed his belief that the foreign minister's visit will help in solving the long-term problem.

Khanal said that India has not taxed the tea coming from Nepal so far, and that the Nepali government has requested the prime minister to take appropriate action regarding the fact that the parliamentary team submitted a report to the Indian parliament on the basis of reducing the benefits received from India.