By Our Reporter Nepal has finally gained access to seven Chinese ports to undertake its trade and commerce activities. Nepal got the facility to utilise four sea and three land ports of China as per the Transit and Transport Protocol signed at the joint-secretary level meeting between Nepal and China in September 7, 2017. The agreement enabled Nepal to use four Chinese sea ports---in Tianjin, Lianyungang, Shenzhen, and Zhanjiang, and three land ports--- Lanzhou, Lhasa and Shigatse for the third country trade. With this new development, Nepal has truly turned into a land-linked country from a landlocked nation. The much-awaited agreement on Transit and Transportation Protocol came into implementation from January 1, 2020. Apart from the ports, Nepal and China have agreed to use additional borders for trade and transit activities. Nepal can use altogether six border entry points- Kimathanka, Nechung (Korala), Rasuwa, Kodari and Yari. Nepali vehicles can reach up to Shigatse after taking permission to ferry goods. Earlier, protocol on transit and transportation was signed between Nepal and China during the Prime Minister’s KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China in March 2016. During PM Oli’s state visit to China in June 2018, it had been planned to sign an agreement for the implementation of the protocol but it could not materialise. Both the countries had then agreed to conclude all tasks related to the implementation of the protocol by September 2018 citing that both of them needed more homework. The agreement of 2018 reached between the representatives of both countries held in Lhasa, Beijing and Kathmandu had decided to give the final shape to the protocol. After reaching the agreement on the protocol, Nepal and China had signed the Protocol on Implementing Agreement on Transit and Transportation during President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s visit to China in April, 2019. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Minister for Transport of China Li Xiaopeng had signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. Nepal has already informed about the preparation to use ports to China and China responded that Nepal could start using ports from January 1, 2020, said the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. After the Nepali traders start using the Chinese ports for trade, dependency of Nepal with India for trade would gradually decrease.