Support for Nepal’s development should be common understanding between China and India: Wang

BEIJING, April 18: Wang Yi, top diplomat State Councilor and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wednesday said that Nepal is a natural area for cooperation between China and India.

Talking to reporters after holding meeting with Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali in bejing, Wang dismissed the notion that Nepal had to carefully balance its relations with China and India.

“I believe that China, Nepal and India are natural friends and partners. We are neighbors connected by the same mountains and rivers,” Wang said. “As we say in China, family members and neighbors wish each other well.”

Support for Nepal’s development should be a common understanding between China and India, he added.

“Nepal stands as a natural beneficiary for cooperation and development from China and India. I think this is a logical desire that should be supported by both China and India,” Wang said.

China and Nepal have agreed to a long-term vision for a cross-Himalaya connectivity network, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, he said adding, “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.”

Minister Gyawali is currently on official visit to China at the invitation of his counterpart Yi.

Gyawali after the meeting said that he and Wang had agreed to start a feasibility study for a cross-border railway linking Nepal and China.

“Personally I have a dream, to travel to China from Nepal across the Himalayas in a modern train, enjoying the scenic beauty of the Himalayas,” he added.