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Beijing: China has agreed to fund a feasibility study for establishing a cross-border railway with Nepal under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)’s Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Connectivity Network, and has pledged $118 million for Chinese aid projects in the country, the two countries’ diplomacy said. Ministry has indicated.
China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that it would send experts to survey the railway this year.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Nepalese Foreign Minister Narayan Kadkar reached an agreement when they met in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
“As I said just now, the foreign ministers of the two countries agreed to establish a trans-Himalayan, multi-dimensional interconnection network during the meeting. State Councilor Wang Yi said that China will use funds to assist Nepal in supporting the feasibility study of the railway, and will send experts within this year. Go to Nigeria for exploration.” Wang Yi said.
Wang said China will cooperate with Nepal on power projects and build trans-Himalayan connectivity projects.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s commitment is part of China’s engagement with the South Asian nation as Beijing expands its influence in the region.
President Xi Jinping visited Nepal in October 2019, and the bilateral relationship was upgraded to a “strategic partnership”.
Chinese diplomats pledged 800 million yuan ($118 million) in grant aid to Nepal for various projects, according to a separate statement from Nepal’s foreign ministry at the Wanghardkar meeting.
According to Nepal’s statement, Wang announced that “…China will carry out a feasibility study for the Keelung-Kathmandu railway with free assistance. He also pledged to support the Sino-Nepalese cross-border project in accordance with the agreement reached during his official visit to Nepal in March 2022. Pre-feasibility study of transmission lines across borders.”
“On this occasion, State Councilor Wang Yi announced that 800 million yuan will be provided to Nepal in 2022,” the Nepalese statement added.
The Keyrung-Kathmandu Railway is part of the Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Interconnection Network, a plan that was first formally agreed upon by China and Nepal in 2017 when Kathmandu joined the Belt and Road Initiative.
In addition, Wang announced that China will provide Nepal with disaster relief supplies worth 3 million yuan ($345,136) “at Nepal’s request. China will also provide Nepal with an additional 2 million yuan ($296,757) worth of medical supplies and logistics. ,” the Nepalese statement said, adding that Wang also announced that China would provide additional Covid-19 vaccines and Covid-19-related “medical assistance up to what Nepal may need”.
China is willing to work with Nepal to jointly build the “Belt and Road” (Initiative) with high quality, carry forward the friendship between China and Nepal from generation to generation, and open up new prospects for the development of bilateral relations. The official news agency Xinhua said at the meeting released on Thursday.
Wang Yi said that China will continue to support the Nepalese side in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, insist on independently exploring a development path that suits its national conditions, and support the Nepalese side in improving people’s livelihood and national rejuvenation.
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