Xi Jinping promises to step up Chinese support for Nepal as two-day visit concludes
- China’s president says Beijing will seek to boost economic cooperation and look into the construction of a cross-border rail link
- Nepal has traditionally been closely aligned with India but visit comes as China seeks to expand its influence in South Asia
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to boost economic cooperation with Nepal and continue to support the country during his visit to Kathmandu over the weekend.
The two countries signed 20 agreements on Sunday to wrap up Xi’s two-day visit, which marked the first visit by a Chinese state leader to the Himalayan state in more than two decades as Beijing seeks to bolster its influence in South Asia.
The pacts included connectivity, border management and trade and investment, the official news agency Xinhua said.
Xi said on Sunday that China was willing to step up policy communications with Nepal, launch a feasibility study into a cross-border railway project, increase telecoms cooperation and explore hydropower “in a reasonable manner” .
Xi also said both countries should step up joint efforts to crack down on terrorism and cross-border criminals and intensify protection of Mount Everest, which lies on the border between the two countries.
