Nepal is moving to broaden its overland trade with China, with discussions underway to conduct trade activities through alternative border points, Foreign Ministry Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said on Monday. Briefing the Parliamentary Special Committee on Disaster Study and Monitoring of the Bhote Koshi and Kaligandaki corridors at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, Rai said priority is currently given to the Tatopani border point, while trade activities and road networks through the Kerung border point and Lamabagar in Dolakha are also being made effective. The Secretary's remarks, as reported by RatoPati and Khabarhub, signal an effort to keep Nepal-China commerce flowing through multiple northern crossings rather than depending on a single route.

Tatopani remains the priority border point

At the meeting, held at Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government in Kathmandu, Secretary Rai told lawmakers that the Tatopani border point is the crossing currently receiving the government's priority for trade activities with China. In practical terms, this places Tatopani at the centre of the country's present trade planning with its northern neighbour.

According to Rai, however, the Tatopani route is not being treated in isolation. He said discussions are underway to conduct trade activities through alternative border crossings with China, indicating that the government intends to keep multiple routes on the table even as one crossing leads.

The three border points that figured in the Secretary's briefing to the parliamentary committee are:

  • Tatopani - the border point currently given priority for trade activities
  • Kerung - where trade activities and road networks are being made effective as part of the ongoing discussions
  • Lamabagar in Dolakha - also being brought into effective operation through work on trade activities and road networks

Kerung and Lamabagar being made effective

Rai told the committee that trade activities and road networks through the Kerung border point and Lamabagar in Dolakha are also being made effective. The formulation points to two parallel strands of work: the conduct of trade itself, and the condition of the road networks that carry it.

Making a border point effective for trade involves more than the crossing itself. It depends on the road network feeding into it, the arrangements for moving goods, and the coordination among the agencies responsible for border operations. By stating that work on both trade activities and road networks is in progress at Kerung and Lamabagar, the Foreign Ministry Secretary indicated that these alternative points are being prepared for operational use alongside the priority crossing at Tatopani.

The inclusion of Lamabagar in Dolakha in the briefing underlines that the government's planning extends beyond the crossings that traditionally dominate trade discussions, reaching into corridors that connect different stretches of Nepal's northern border with China. Together with Kerung, these points form the set of alternatives currently under discussion as the ministry works to diversify how goods move between the two countries.

Parliamentary oversight of the corridors

The briefing took place at a meeting of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Disaster Study and Monitoring of the Bhote Koshi and Kaligandaki corridors, convened at Singha Durbar on Monday. The committee's mandate, as its name indicates, covers the study of disasters and the monitoring of conditions along the Bhote Koshi and Kaligandaki corridors, two routes of significance for Nepal's connectivity with China.

That the Foreign Ministry Secretary appeared before this particular committee reflects the intersection of the panel's oversight role with the ministry's trade diplomacy. Discussions on conducting trade through alternative border points are of direct interest to a committee charged with studying and monitoring the very corridors through which such trade would move. The meeting formed part of the committee's ongoing engagement with the government, with the Foreign Secretary's briefing giving lawmakers an account of where Nepal's border trade priorities currently stand.

Direction of the trade discussions

The message from Singha Durbar was one of preparation rather than announcement. Rai did not present final decisions at the meeting. Instead, he described discussions that are underway, a priority that is currently assigned to Tatopani, and work in progress at Kerung and Lamabagar to make trade activities and road networks effective.

For Nepal, the significance of these discussions lies in the direction they indicate: an approach to trade with China that contemplates multiple functioning border points rather than reliance on a single gateway. Priority for Tatopani sits alongside efforts to bring Kerung and Lamabagar into effective operation, suggesting a layered arrangement in which one crossing leads while the others are readied to handle trade activities as well.

The parliamentary committee's monitoring role adds a further dimension to the process. With a panel dedicated to the disaster study and monitoring of the Bhote Koshi and Kaligandaki corridors reviewing the matter, developments at these border points will continue to be examined in Kathmandu as the discussions progress.

As of Monday's meeting, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed that consultations on conducting trade through alternative border points with China remain ongoing, with Tatopani holding current priority and Kerung and Lamabagar being made effective through parallel work on trade activities and road networks. Further clarity on how the alternative crossings will be operationalised is expected to emerge as these discussions advance between the ministry and the parliamentary committee.