China, Nepal to work on cross-border rail line

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing to enhance high-level exchanges with Nepal and facilitate cooperation with the South Asian country in trade, investment, energy, tourism and many other areas. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with visiting Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 7, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Wang Yi made the announcement while holding talks with Nepalese Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is on an official visit to China.

During the meeting Wang also said China believes that Nepal, as a neighbor of both China and India, could play a bridging role between the two emerging economies.

Wang said harmonious China-India relations and win-win cooperation are the natural and right choice for the two countries.

"There should be no confrontation between China and India. We should build up strategic mutual trust, and see opportunities for development in the other and take each other as partners for cooperation, rather than maintaining the outdated concept and regarding each other as rivals or threats," Wang said.

Mahara said Nepal is willing to take the role to build the economic corridor between China, Nepal and India.

"Firstly both China and India are close neighbors of Nepal. Secondly we are happy to witness good relations between our neighbors. Thirdly the rapid economic development in both countries has been ongoing in the past few decades. Fourthly, being located between the two countries, Nepal would benefit from their economic prosperity," Mahara noted.

In the meeting, Wang Yi also said that the two sides will cooperate on the planning of a railway that runs across the China-Nepal border, will repair two highways in Nepal, and will construct three ports along the border.