China-Nepal traditional border trade points reopen

China and Nepal on Saturday reopened traditional border trade points after four years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move to further deepen bilateral trade and benefit the livelihoods of people living in the border areas, an expert said on Sunday.

The reopening ceremony took place in Zhentang township in Xigaze, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Saturday. Trade also resumed at other traditional sites in counties such as Zhongba, Saga, Gyirong and Nyalam, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

Some 110 Chinese merchants and 47 Nepalese merchants engaged in trade transactions on Saturday, involving more than 50 types of goods, including daily necessities, building materials, food and beverages, agricultural products and Nepalese handicrafts, per Xinhua.

China transported anti-pandemic materials and daily necessities to Nepal via ports through one-way trade during the pandemic, and the reopening of the traditional trade ports will be conducive to promoting bilateral economic exchanges, Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Liu said that China mostly exports manufactured goods to Nepal while importing raw materials as well as agricultural and livestock products.

For instance, Nepal's exports to Xizang include major life necessities for local residents, which is beneficial for advancing the local development of agriculture and livestock husbandry, Liu noted.

Traditional border trade activities are an important platform to ensure the supply of production and living materials to border residents in both China and Nepal, while promoting the prosperity and development of the border areas. In April, the Xizang local government released trial management measures to regulate border trade and strengthen non-governmental exchanges with Nepal.

"We plan to continuously improve border trade infrastructure and promote further economic and trade exchanges between China and Nepal," said Feng Xuecheng, director of the Xigaze city commerce bureau, on Saturday.

As a pivotal city for China's opening-up to South Asia, Xigaze borders India, Nepal and Bhutan, and hosts five trade land ports.

Xizang's total trade with Nepal, its largest trading partner, totaled 2.77 billion yuan ($389.53 million) in 2023, up 77.2 percent year-on-year, according to the customs bureau in Lhasa, Xizang's regional capital city.