As the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure project announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping enters the golden era of its implementation, People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, recently hosted ‘The 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road’ in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

Aimed at deepening media cooperation and promoting common development, the event brought together over 200 delegates from media organizations in nearly 80 countries, as well as officials, scholars and business people. The BRI is a massive infrastructure project that China devised to boost trade and connectivity across Asia, Europe and Africa. Over the years, numerous physical development and financial investment projects ranging from the construction of railways to satellite networks. The endeavor remains one of the largest infrastructure plans ever initiated by a single country.

Nepal’s wish is that the BRI project should be run with grants. But China wants to implement the project with a loan, not a grant.

According to the BRI white paper released by China, as of June 2023, China has signed more than 200 cooperation agreements with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations including Nepal. An agreement was reached between Nepal and China in May 2017 on BRI.  Since then, BRI has been in controversy and has not been implemented.  Nepal says that China has not made it clear about the conditions under which this project will be implemented through loans or grants. However, Nepal’s wish is that the BRI project should be run with grants. But China wants to implement the project with a loan, not a grant. China has been saying that it has taken the same policy for BRI as it has with other countries of the world, it has taken the same policy for Nepal and it has been made clear that it will not take any different policy for Nepal. Some elements have understood it as China’s strategy to expand its influence.

Between geopolitics and the pressure of international players, Nepal has not been able to implement the high-quality mega project of win-win cooperation. Experts of international relations say that it will be difficult to implement BRI in Nepal until the relations between India and China are improved, they claim that there will be problems until India welcomes BRI. Also the Western powers have looked at it with suspicion. Westerners have doubts that China will spread its network in the world through BRI. They are focused on how to make it fail.

Experts say that BRI’s effect is also seen in Nepal. The government of Nepal and political parties are under pressure from various countries regarding BRI. They believe that if BRI is implemented, Nepal can achieve great achievements in the field of physical infrastructure. Nepal’s biggest challenge now is to balance its relations with its two neighbors.  They are of the view that due to language and geography, it is very tough to maintain people-to-people contacts with but China is needed in terms of investment and cooperation. Without China’s support, Nepal’s economic development will be more difficult.

Some members of academia have linked the issue of BRI implementation with the risk of Nepal getting into geopolitical turmoil. But delaying the implementation of BRI and insisting on the implementation of another agreement initiated against it has increased this risk even more. It has raised questions about the government’s policy of creating equality between friendly countries.
Political leadership cannot afford to make hasty decisions and regret at leisure. It is a matter of conscience even for ordinary citizens to be responsible for their agreements and understandings. Political leadership should be more sensitive and responsible in this regard.  It is important to be aware of efforts to push the country further into the geopolitical quagmire by playing politics of confusion about BRI. It will be in the interest of the country to avoid animosity between the powerful countries. But the effort to sideline the other side under the pressure of someone will increase the geopolitical conflict even more.

It is important to be aware of efforts to push the country further into the geopolitical quagmire by playing politics of confusion about BRI.

It is natural for China, which is facing problems with the US-led strategic front, to consider its geopolitical and strategic advantages in Nepal as well. China’s efforts to widen the circle of its friends and narrow the circle of enemies are not unreasonable. For that, it has been expanding relations around the world based on the ‘win-win’ principle. Asian, African and Latin American countries, which are facing the domination of powerful Western countries over all the resources they have, have felt more comfortable with this policy of China. Which is further helping China to become a world power.

In a conversation with four journalists from Nepal who were on an eleven-day China visit, local Chinese leaders and journalists said that they wished for the development of Nepal’s tourism sector, and the desire of their citizens to see Nepal’s all-round development. The Chinese leadership is not in favor of limiting the dimension of China’s relationship with Nepal only to the communist parties but also building a mutual friendship with other political parties. China is of the opinion that Nepal can take a giant leap in the country’s economic development through development in the agricultural sector and the export of agricultural products. China’s study shows that Nepal’s wide connectivity will help Nepal to make the most of its immense potential in the hydropower generation and tourism industry.

Highlighting China’s progress they said because of the open policy, there has been unprecedented development in China’s economic, technological, and educational sphere.  All Chinese believe that the BRI, which has been promoted by the incumbent president, will bring prosperity and development to greater heights. BRI is a solid foundation of sustainable development not only in China but for the entire world. China’s open policy is the main pillar of building a modern China and BRI is the basis for establishing China as the world’s leading economy and making it a world power.

They have requested to convey the message of China moving forward together with everyone.

In addition, they requested to dispel the misleading Western comments regarding China’s development and BRI and requested the journalists of Western media to visit China and understand the ground reality instead of smearing. They have requested to convey the message of China moving forward together with everyone. They made such requests with regard to some so-called Western experts alleging China’s loans through BRI are becoming a debt trap for poor and underdeveloped countries.  China has publicly stated scores of times that those allegations are baseless. The ‘debt trap’ was created by forces that did not want to see overall growth in developing countries.

In the meanwhile, addressing the forum, Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized the importance of the 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, noting that it serves as a significant platform for dialogue and exchange among media professionals from various countries.

Tuo Zhen, President of People’s Daily stated that the forum provides a valuable opportunity for the exchange of experiences and ideas among media organizations worldwide. He highlighted that the BRI has opened up new horizons for international communication and cooperation, noting the significant attention that Chinese President Xi Jinping places on media cooperation within the framework of the initiative. He mentioned that the BRI seeks development and mutual benefit, aligning with global trends of peace and cooperation.
“BRI accumulates advanced economic, industrial and scientific potential of countries, capital, technologies, competencies, talents for the benefit of universal global development,” said Hu Guo, Vice President of People’s Daily.

Other speakers laid emphasis on honestly implementing BRI and improving the living standards of their people. They said, “BRI is not a project driven by the objectives of a military alliance. It is a reliable project for connectivity to the world in terms of development. BRI is not a military strategic project. It envisages partnership in purely economic and infrastructural development. It carries the recognition of mutual benefits in the economic and social spheres. It will be a milestone for building an equitable world.”

The “Belt and Road Media Cooperation: Chengdu Initiative” was also adopted at the forum, underscoring the media community’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial engagement

Delegates at the forum expressed the belief that media organizations should better tell stories of win-win cooperation in BRI partner countries and report about both the practices and contributions in jointly building the BRI. Noting that the BRI has experienced flourishing development since its inception, the guests called on media organizations to promote information connectivity, step up efforts to be enabled by digital and smart technologies, and deepen cooperation to showcase the charms of different civilizations.

The “Belt and Road Media Cooperation: Chengdu Initiative” was also adopted at the forum, underscoring the media community’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial engagement. The document states, “Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), participating countries have prioritized connectivity, leading to enhanced policy coordination, infrastructure development, seamless trade, financial integration, and stronger people-to-people connections. These efforts have bolstered global connectivity, created platforms for international economic cooperation, and stimulated global economic growth.”

Recognizing that the BRI is moving into a new phase, the Chengdu Initiative emphasizes the continued importance of media collaboration in promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding. The document further states, “Media outlets in participating countries should embrace the Silk Road spirit of peace, cooperation, openness, inclusivity, mutual learning, and shared benefits. They should commit to the principles of joint consultation, joint construction, and shared gains; disseminate fair, objective, and truthful information; and avoid bias, fake news, and misinformation, aiming to strengthen deeper connections among all parties involved.”

It proposed to harness the collective power of the media to effectively tell BRI stories about common development and mutual benefit, about deepening regional cooperation and improving global governance, and about facilitating mutual learning among civilizations and increasing people-to-people exchanges. It has been underlined to crack down on the publication of fake news to prevent misunderstandings.