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The Chinese intention seems clear—until Nepal signs the BRI Implementation Plan, Chinese cooperation in mega projects will remain in limbo

The inclusion of soft power initiatives under the BRI shows the urgency on the Chinese side to project the wheels of BRI as moving in Nepal

Nepal signed the framework agreement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China in May 2017. Of the initial 35 projects that Nepal had proposed, the final number eventually came down to nine. Seven years later, none of the BRI projects have been completed. In 2023, the tenth year of the BRI, controversies surrounding China’s attempt to co-opt even ‘non-BRI’ projects under the framework, and Nepal’s efforts to secure more grants inst