Kathmandu promises to crackdown on Tibetans in return for Chinese aid package
DHARAMSALA, Apr 2: Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged an economic aid package of NRs 14.5 billion for transport and infrastructure building as Kathmandu promised to continue its crackdown on Tibetans and not allow its territory for anti-China activities, reported PTI Mar 30.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the 900 million RMB (NRs 14.5 billion) economic aid package for Nepal during his meeting with Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav on the sidelines of Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan Province in China yesterday,” the report quoted Nepal Foreign Ministry officials as saying.
President Xi appreciated Nepal’s support on issues concerning China’s core interests, including issues related to Tibet and Taiwan while promising to continue to support Nepal’s effort in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Nepal would never allow its territory to be used by any anti-China activities,” the PTI report cited Nepalese President Yadav as having reciprocated.
While expressing China’s willingness to initiate talks on Free Trade with Nepal at an early date, Xi said the two countries should work on traffic interconnectivity, infrastructure, hydropower development, modernisation of agriculture and science and technology.
Xi further welcomed Nepal’s participation in the Silk Road projects unveiled by him at the forum to improve China’s connectivity to Europe through a maze of road, rail and port network.
China’s latest economic aid package, which will be used to upgrade the 115-km Araniko Highway that links Nepal with China and to develop the transport infrastructure, follows an exponential increment in annual aid to Nepal early this month from USD 24 million to USD 128 million.
