Himalayan snub for India as Nepal signs railway deal with China

March 21, 2016 15:52

China today agreed to Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli's request to build a strategic railway link between the two countries through Tibet to reduce land-locked Nepal's total dependence on India, as the two sides cemented their ties by signing 10 agreements including a landmark transit trade deal.

Oli, who arrived in Beijing yesterday on his maiden seven-day visit to China, was given a red carpet welcome by Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People. He also called on Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Oli's high-profile visit comes as Nepal seeks to open more supply routes from China amid fears of a repeat of recent nearly six-month long crippling blockade when the Indian-origin Madhesis blocked Nepal's trade-routes with India, throwing normal life out of gear.

During the talks, the two prime ministers made a comprehensive review of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over steadily growing relations between the two countries.

"The two sides exchanged substantive views on further strengthening and consolidating mutual trust and understanding as well as promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields," according to a press release issued by Nepalese foreign ministry.

Photograph alongside shows the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and is courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

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