Kathmandu, November 7: A symposium titled “China’s Upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan and Nepal’s Development Journey” was organized on Wednesday (November 5) by the Friends of Silk Road Club–Nepal.

The event brought together local scholars, experts, and youth to discuss China’s remarkable progress since the 1980s and explore how Nepal can benefit from China’s development experience.

Participants emphasized the importance of aligning Nepal’s development strategies with the priorities outlined in China’s forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan.

Dr. Min Bahadur Shrestha, former Vice-Chairman of Nepal’s National Planning Commission, noted that since introducing economic reforms in the 1980s, China has rapidly transformed into the world’s second-largest economy. He urged the Government of Nepal to draw lessons from China’s development priorities and apply them to Nepal’s own growth trajectory.

Highlighting the potential of Nepal–China joint cooperation, Dr. Shrestha said it could significantly benefit Nepal. Referring to the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China, he suggested that Nepal attract Chinese investment and collaborate with China in producing export-oriented goods for the global market, including the USA. He further emphasized the need to establish more industrial zones in partnership with China.

Gadesh Poudel, a young IT expert, presented a paper titled “Lighting Up the Himalayas: Youth Paving the Future of Nepal–China Cooperation.” He underscored the importance of prioritizing the IT sector through collaboration with China.

Poudel suggested granting further facilities to the Chinese investors in Nepal.

Similarly, Jhalak Subedi, senior political analyst and writer, discussed how China successfully achieved its development goals. He encouraged Nepali policymakers to emulate aspects of the Chinese model to accelerate Nepal’s infrastructure development.

Dr. Kalyan Raj Sharma, General Secretary of the Friends of Silk Road Club–Nepal, stressed that Nepal should move forward by strengthening cooperation with China.

Prof. Sanjay Acharya of Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Economics also echoed the view that Nepal should seize opportunities to benefit from China’s development experience.

The symposium concluded with valuable insights and reflections on enhancing Nepal–China cooperation for mutual progress.

People’s News Monitoring Service.