China begins temporary bridge work at Rasuwagadhi

China has started construction of a temporary bridge at Rasuwagadhi–Kerung customs point. On July 20, the Facebook page of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal posted a video clip, showing the beginning of the construction.

This update followed Nepal’s formal request to China for assistance in reconstructing the Miteri Bridge, with Devendra Dahal, Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport calling on Chinese Ambassador Chen Song on July 17. Reportedly, while the Chinese side expressed interest in repairing the damaged roads and the bridge, they also pledged to build a temporary bridge to ease the cross-border movement between the two countries. 

The request for a permanent construction was reiterated on Monday by Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel during a meeting with Chen Xiaodong, Chair of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), who is currently on an official visit to Nepal.

The friendship bridge was destroyed by a flash flood on July 8. The flooding occurred along the Bhotekoshi River, cutting off Nepal’s second-largest trade route with China. Both parties agreed to complete reconstruction before Dashain, one of Nepal’s major festivals in late September this year—in light of festive-focused market demand.

The bridge, measuring 100 metres long and 10 metres wide, was a key infrastructure asset enabling transit through this mountainous border. It was built after the old bridge was damaged by the 2015 earthquake. Constructed with the aid of China, the new bridge officially opened in June 2019.

As of mid-June 2025 for FY 2024/25, the Rasuwagadhi–Kerung crossing handled approximately NRs 82 billion in trade, serving as a critical gateway for imports and exports between the two countries. In 2023/24, the trade between the countries amounted to over NRs 62 billion.

Recent scientific studies have identified the cause of the flood as a sudden outburst from a previously hidden supraglacial lake atop a glacier in Tibet, located about 36 kilometres north of the border. Satellite images show this glacial lake expanded rapidly before the flood, releasing a massive volume of water into the Bhotekoshi River.