The Nation · Public debt · Bilateral
Export-Import Bank of China
चीनको निर्यात-आयात बैंक
Small share of debt by stock. Disproportionate political weight via single large projects.
Outstanding
USD 280M
as of FY 2024/25
Share of ext. debt
3%
cited
Currency
USD
FX exposure
Major loans
2
cited
How it works
China Eximbank's outstanding stock with Nepal is modest in aggregate (~USD 280M) but the concentration in a single high-visibility project (Pokhara airport, USD 215.96M) makes the bilateral terms unusually consequential. Loan terms are concessional by international comparison but commercial relative to IDA/JICA. The repayment-on-underutilised-asset issue at Pokhara is the test case.
The short version
China lends Nepal money mostly for individual big projects — like Pokhara airport. The total amount is small compared to the World Bank or ADB, but each loan is politically significant.
Typical loan terms
Mixed: 25% interest-free + 75% at 2% (Pokhara airport profile); 20-year term, 7-year grace
Headline terms — individual loans may vary. Per-loan detail follows.
Major loans
2016
USD 215.96M
Regional airport
Ring Road expansion (Kathmandu)
phased
multi-tranche
Urban road
What to watch
- ·Pokhara airport debt service profile — moves into repayment from FY 2025/26 onward; airport revenue not currently meeting projection.
- ·BRI Framework Agreement (2024) project selection — public terms not yet released.
Sources · cited verbatim
Ministry of Finance Nepal — PDMO — Public Debt Bulletin — bilateral creditors
Open release checked 2025-01-15Export-Import Bank of China — Overseas lending — country profiles (per Nepal MoF debt bulletins)
Open release checked 2024-12-31