Nepal students burn 'substandard' cycles given by China

Birgunj [Nepal], February 23 : A student organisation in Parsa of Nepal burned down the bicycles distributed in Chinese assistance for being substandard.
The National Students' Council-Parsa, on Saturday, burned bicycles distributed last month, alleging they had been previously used and substandard in the name of Chinese assistance.
The students burnt the bicycles while demonstrating at Laxmanawa Chowk in the Parsa district of the Southern plains of Nepal. The protestors also raised slogans of "China's cunning no longer works", "Madhesh needs respect" and "Old bicycles, deception", "China doesn't fool us now!" amongst others.
"China sent substandard materials as an aid to humiliate Madhesh students. Providing substandard materials to Madhesh in the name of grants is unacceptable. If this continues, it would be the humiliation of Madheshi and we will resort to it with strong protest," Binod Yadav, President of the student council told ANI over the phone.
Two hundred Chinese bicycles were distributed to the students of Shri Narsingh Secondary School in Pipara, Birgunj Metropolitan City. The China Foundation distributed the bicycles in the first week of the Nepali month of Magh during the program organized by the International Love Cycle Nepal Campaign.
Notably, Nepal and China are quite at a crossroads with regard to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arzu Rana Deuba, has reaffirmed that the recent agreement under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) does not involve any loan-related provisions. Answering lawmakers' queries at a meeting of the parliamentary International Relations and Tourism Committee on Monday, she clarified that the term 'aid' in the agreement does not equate to loans, as per the Kathmandu Post.
"There is no mention of loans in the BRI agreement. The projects signed under BRI are cooperation-based, and any decision to take loans would depend on necessity. We are under no obligation to accept loans unless required," the Kathmandu Post quoted Deuba as saying.
Deuba also highlighted ongoing diplomatic engagements with Nepal's neighbours, India and China, underscoring the significance both nations place on their relationship with Nepal. She noted that bilateral dialogues, exchanges, and agreements have strengthened Nepal's ties with both countries, as per the Kathmandu Post.