August 12, 2022
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Wang Yi said that China will use its assist to Nepal to guidance the China-Nepal cross-border railway feasibility analyze, and will ship professionals to Nepal to perform surveys within this year.
China’s Ministry of International Affairs revealed on Thursday (August 11) that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Nepalese Overseas Minister Khadgar, who was checking out China, and announced that they would construct a trans-Himalayan 3-dimensional interconnection network.
Wang Yi also claimed that China will use its aid to Nepal to assist the China-Nepal cross-border railway feasibility research, and will mail specialists to Nepal to conduct surveys inside of this 12 months.
From “landlocked region” to「land union」
Though the progress of the China-Nepal cross-border railway has been clarified, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not reply the specific questions about the design period of time of the China-Nepal railway in a push convention on Thursday.
Pertaining to the Trans-Himalayan Three-Dimensional Interconnection Network, Wang Yi basically described it in December 2021.
View of Mount Everest from Rongbu Monastery around Mount Everest Base Camp in Tibet. Nepal shares a border with China, divided by the Himalayas.
At that time, at the International Convention on Reconstruction in Nepal, he pointed out the have to have to boost the feasibility analyze of the cross-border railway task in between the two international locations, improve the trans-Himalayan three-dimensional interconnection network, and assist Nepal notice her dream of changing from a “locked state” to a “land-linked region”.
In March this yr, when Wang Yi held talks with Nepal’s International Minister Khadgar, he also emphasised that China supports Nepal in deepening its participation in the building of the “Belt and Road”, and is completely ready to pace up the procedure of marketing essential cooperation initiatives, “primarily advertising and marketing the China-Nepal cross-border railway project, developing a 3-dimensional trans-Himalayan interconnected community.”
China-Nepal Railway Issue
The China-Nepal railway proposal began in 2016, when Nepali Key Minister Oli visited China and signed 10 agreements with China, such as programs to construct a railway amongst the two countries.
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In March this 12 months, when Wang Yi held talks with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Khadgar, he also emphasized that China supports Nepal to choose a deeper part in the development of the “Belt and Road”, and is all set to velocity up the advertising of tasks vital collaboration.
At 1st, India was unhappy with Nepal signing the railway settlement with China, but Nepali leaders emphasized that for a landlocked state like Nepal, trade diversification is the ideal preference.
In addition, some analysts pointed out that the charge of the undertaking is big, and Nepal may possibly count way too a great deal on Chinese loans.
In June 2018, the Chinese and Nepalese governments signed a cross-border railway cooperation arrangement to hook up Shigatse, Tibet and Kathmandu, the funds of Nepal.
In Oct 2019, Xi Jinping paid out a state take a look at to Nepal, and China and Nepal issued a joint statement to launch the feasibility analyze of the Geelong-Kathmandu cross-border railway job.
Lengthy Xingchun, executive director of Chengdu WorldCom Study Institute, explained to the Worldwide Times on Thursday that if the cross-border railway job is ultimately done, it will absolutely bode properly for Nepal’s economic climate, as transportation backlinks the landlocked place that China at this time relies on. on various land ports, it can’t operate in heavy snow or geological disasters.
Extended Xingchun stated the railway will empower Nepal to tap into China’s big current market and facilitate the stream of bilateral trade and expense.
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But constructing this kind of a railway is not quick. In April this calendar year, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi admitted in an job interview that the China-Nepal cross-border railway is facing a lot of problems and troubles.
“The venture requires to cross the Himalayas, with a distance of more than 1,000 meters in sections of less than 200 kilometers. It also requirements to fix numerous complex complications this sort of as complicated geological ailments and frequent all-natural disasters together the way. in accordance to preliminary calculations, the bridge-to-tunnel ratio of the overall railway is a lot more than 90%. The cost for every kilometer is about 200 million yuan, “he stated.
Hou Yanqi also pointed out that the undertaking, like quite a few other infrastructure assignments in Nepal, faces a collection of challenges these kinds of as the new crown epidemic, land acquisition, demolition, and ecological protection. She hopes that the skilled authorities of China and Nepal will bolster conversation and coordination, and also hopes that Nepal will boost the company surroundings.
