President Xi Jinping is coming and Nepal is ready to give him a warm welcome

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China's President Xi Jinping is coming to Nepal on a two-day state visit on Saturday (October 12, 2019). On the eve of the visit, yours truly made a round of the beautiful national capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, to see how much more beautiful it had become.
Yeah, the city looked pretty clean, the portraits of President Xi and his Nepali counterpart Vidhya Devi Bhandari placed here and there did not look that bad. One thing, though: Rather than on electric poles, those pictures could surely have been placed on some other places. 

As yours truly was travelling around the city, a beautification overdrive was in full swing, with planting of saplings, flowers and all. One wonders if any authority will have time to look after these saplings, these flowers after the visit is over. If authorities like the Kathmandu Metropolitan City indeed find time to look after these saplings, they will not have to plant saplings afresh when another dignitary visits Kathmandu. 
Will we be able to use the visit of President Xi to push our country towards national progress and prosperity? One thing is clear, though: The progress and prosperity that we have been aspiring for will not be possible unless and until we have products from across the world, including China, flooding our markets and foreign nationals, including those from the immediate neighbourhood, selling them and making quite a fortune. 

We will have to learn making products using foreign technologies. How about starting with those fancy lights that people sell in the tourist hub of Basantapur? Can China set up one of those factories that make those lights here in Nepal?
How about those electronic gadgets that Chinese make? How about asking China to make those fancy mobile phones in Nepal by employing Nepali nationals?
This will go a long way in bringing down the yawning trade deficit with our northern neighbour.      And how about using Chinese technologies to build massive infrastructure like roads and hydels, thereby decreasing our dependence on fossil fuel and increasing the rate of industrialisation? 
And how about doing our bit to promote Nepal in China?
How about promoting Lumbini, the birthplace of Shakyamuni Buddha, to begin with? How about massively promoting tourist destinations in the Himalayas, the Hills and the Terai in Chinese cities? Of course, the Nepal Tourism Board knows better. Of course, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation knows better. Of course, the Investment Board of Nepal know better. Yeah, our very capable government knows better. It's just a stray thought coming from yours truly...... Here's hoping that it's not in bad taste. You think yours truly wrote too much? If so, enjoy the pictures. 



Text and pictures: Devendra Gautam

Legal warning: Any unauthorised use of these materials will invite legal action as per national and international laws, including those related to intellectual property rights

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