On Thursday, Nepal’s one-month-old government, led by the country’s largest communist party, which has close ties to Beijing, formally asked China to convert a $216 million loan for the airport into a grant, wiping away the debt.
It made the request during a visit by a Chinese delegation including Sun Weidong, China’s vice foreign minister.
A few weeks after it opened in January 2023, a domestic flight headed for the city crashed into a river gorge, killing 72 people.
The airport has not attracted any regular international flights, dimming the financial outlook for the project.
Over the last year, Nepal’s anti-corruption agency and a parliamentary committee started investigations into the airport’s construction.
Persons:
Nepal’s, Sun Weidong
Locations:
China, Pokhara, Beijing