China says Nepal is a natural area of cooperation for Delhi and Beijing

Proposes economic corridor through Himalayas connecting India, Nepal & China

Written by ZEESHAN SHAIKH | Beijing | Published: April 19, 2018 12:59:41 am

china, nepal, india, wang yi, chinese finance minister, nepal pm, Pradeep Gyawali, indian express

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nepal counterpart Pradeep Gyawali in Beijing on Thursday. Express

Amid growing concerns in India over its attempts to make inroads into Nepal, China on Thursday said the Himalayan nation was a natural area for cooperation between Beijing and New Delhi, who could both contribute to Nepal’s growth. China also said Nepal could act as a vital link to a possible economic corridor between the three countries, and asked India to be a part of such connectivity projects. “China and Nepal have agreed to a long-term vision of multi-dimensional cross-Himalaya connectivity network. We believe that such a network, when well-developed, can also create conditions for an economic corridor connecting China, Nepal and India. We hope that such cooperation can contribute to the development and prosperity of all three countries,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after a meeting with his Nepal counterpart Pradeep Gyawali in Beijing on Thursday.

There has been a growing sense of distrust between India and Nepal, especially after the 134-day blockade in 2015 that caused a shortage of essential commodities, including petroleum products, in Nepal. The landlocked nation, which has traditionally relied on India for trade, has been cosying up to China for support under the government of Prime Minister K P Oli.

The visit by Nepal’s foreign Minister was seen as an effort to lay the ground work for a trip by Oli to China in the immediate future.

China, however, said it doesn’t believe that Nepal was trying to do a balancing act between China and India.

“China, Nepal and India are natural friends and partners. We are neighbours connected by the same mountains and rivers. This a fact that cannot be changed,” Wang said.

He said that both China and India should support Nepal’s development.

“Support for Nepal’s development should be a common understanding between China and India. As two major emerging economies, China and India should deliver benefit to their neighbours, including Nepal, through their development. Nepal, on its part, should leverage its geographical advantage and connect China and India for greater development,” Wang said.

Gyawali said Nepal had a trouble-free relationship with China, and that it wanted to benefit from the progress that China had achieved. “I have a dream to travel to China from Nepal across the Himalayas in a modern train, enjoying the scenic beauty of the Himalayas,” Gyawali said.

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