(TibetanReview.net, May26’24) — There is probably no other part of the world, including in China itself, where Covid-19 restrictions did not end years ago. To the local populations on the two sides of Nepal and Chinese-occupied Tibet border areas, the Covid pandemic restrictions ended only yesterday. China finally decided to reopen most of the border crossings from May 25, with the prolonged, tortuous delay in doing so beggaring explanations.
The two sides reopened their traditional border trade points on May 25, marking a step forward in enhancing bilateral economic and trade ties, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency May 25. Bilateral ties did not move forward thus far apparently because China failed to restore a left front government in Nepal by cobbling together a coalition of the country’s communist parties despite its strenuous efforts. But politics has once again brought together the two major communist parties of Nepal to form the government at Kathmandu, with support from other, smaller parties.
The border points reopening ceremony took place in Zhentang (Tibetan: Drenthang, Ting-kye County) Township on the Tibet-Nepal border in the city of Shigatse, the report said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha of Nepal and Vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Silang Nima jointly opened the traditional trading points, reported the kathmandupost.com May 26.
The report said the leaders from the two sides announced the reopening of 14 of the 21 trading points in various districts along Nepal’s mountain range after a gap of four years.
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The report said Chinese authorities had closed the border passes in Jan 2020 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which hugely affected the Nepalis living in the remote mountain villages close to Tibet.
The report cited Shrestha as saying 14 trading points of Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Dolakha, Gorkha, Mustang, Dolpa and Darchula districts were reopened on May 25. He has added that the Chinese side would gradually reopen the remaining seven border points as well.
The minister has said talks had been going on at the diplomatic level for long on reopening the border points. “It was agreed during my China visit in March to reopen the 14 traditional border trading points,” he has said, adding four such points were reopened in 2023.
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The report said the border closure in early 2020 affected a large number of Nepali traders, seasonal workers and residents of several mountain districts. People of the settlements near the Tibet border had difficulties managing essential supplies as they could not travel to the otherwise more accessible markets across the previously open border.
For example, as a result of the border closure “people of several remote settlements in Bhotkhola had to buy food and other supplies from Khandbari, the district headquarters of Sankhuwasabha, paying heavily to transport them.” But now “they can buy essential commodities from Dendang and Changa markets in Tibet,” Wang Chhedar Bhote, chairman of Bhotkhola Rural Municipality in Sankhuwasabha, has said.
He has said the local unit and the district administration had repeatedly urged the Chinese authorities to reopen the border, but to no avail. But now “the residents of Kimathanka, Chyamtang, Chepuwa, Hatiya and other settlements of Bhotkhola will have a huge relief with the reopening of the border after four years,” Bhote has said.
Besides, as a result of the prolonged border closure, hundreds of people on the Nepal side had been unable to meet their relatives in Tibet. People of border villages of Tibet and Nepal have marital links. They will now be able to visit their relatives across the border, the report added.
Tibet traded with 175 countries and regions last year. Its imports from and exports to Nepal, its largest trading partner, totalled approximately 2.77 billion yuan (about 389.5 million US dollars), up 77.2% year-on-year, the report said, citing the customs bureau in Tibet’s capital Lhasa.