FNCCI president, Chinese ambassador discuss trade and investment

KATHMANDU: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Chinese Embassy in Nepal have agreed to expand economic ties beyond traditional commerce into a broader trade and investment partnership following a meeting on Monday at the FNCCI Secretariat in Teku.

FNCCI President Anjan Shrestha and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming discussed strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, technology transfer, joint ventures and export promotion. Both sides agreed to enhance dialogue between FNCCI, the Chinese Embassy, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Chinese provincial chambers of commerce.

FNCCI President Shrestha highlighted potential areas for Nepali exports to China, including tea, coffee, herbs and herbal products, handicrafts, felt, handmade paper, ready-made garments and singing bowls, and said Nepal currently experiences a significant trade imbalance with China.

"Nepal's exports compared to imports from China are negligible. In this situation, support from the Chinese side is necessary to expand Nepal's export trade. Now, our priority should not be mere participation in exhibitions, but building actual orders, long-term buyers, and business partnerships," Shrestha said.

He said FNCCI has facilitated local participation in events such as the China-South Asia Expo in Kunming for more than 15 years and urged the expansion of direct flights to Pokhara and Bhairahawa international airports to increase Chinese tourist arrivals. He added that China plays a key role in supporting Nepal's transition as it prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status by helping boost production capacity, export diversification and integration into global value chains.

He also invited greater participation from Chinese firms at the 11th Nepal International Trade Fair, scheduled to take place in Kathmandu this December.

On the occasion, Ambassador Zhang pledged to support the promotion of Nepali goods in China and to facilitate direct ties between business leaders of both countries, saying bilateral relations need to expand into long-term cooperation covering investment, technology, joint ventures, exports, tourism and direct business ventures.

Acknowledging the competitive nature of the Chinese market, the Chinese ambassador advised Nepali entrepreneurs to focus on product quality, branding, packaging and scale, and said China is ready to assist in capacity building. "Nepal is a good neighbour of China. China is always positive towards Nepal's development and prosperity. China is also ready to facilitate the export of Nepali goods. For this, Nepali entrepreneurs must gradually enhance their capacity," he said.

Other FNCCI officials at the meeting, including Senior Vice President Sur Krishna Vaidya, Vice Presidents Krishna Prasad Sharma and Naresh Lal Shrestha, and FNCCI Bagmati Province President Bed Bahadur Shrestha, noted China's status as Nepal's second-largest trading partner and a key source of foreign investment, and reiterated the need to narrow the bilateral trade deficit.