General Fang is to visit Kathmandu, giving due importance to an invitation extended by Nepal´s Chief of Army Staff Gaurab SJB Rana, who completed a week-long visit to the northern neighbor Saturday.
During his stay in Beijing, CoAS Rana held a meeting with PLA chief Fang at PLA Headquarters. According to Nepalese Ambassador to China Dr Mahesh Maskey, who was present during the meeting, the Chinese side has given due to importance to the invitation extended by the Nepal Army chief to visit Kathmandu. [break]
Dr Maskey said China has placed the NA on high priority in terms of extending military support. “The visit is likely to take place soon, given the eagerness shown by the PLA chief and the priority China has given to Nepal,” he said.
Then chief of the PLA General Staff Chen Bingde had given a new dimension to the Chinese army´s support to the Nepal Army during his visit to Nepal in 2011. Besides announcing military aid to NA worth a total of US $ 7.7 million, General Chen had tried to deepen military relations between the two countries.
After General Chen´s visit, then CoAS Chhatra Man Singh Gurung had visited China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart.
Chen´s successor Fang has tried to convey the importance China attaches to Nepal by inviting CoAS Rana to China. Besides providing NA two mobile hospitals costing 59 million RMB as part of a previous commitment, Fang announced the extension of an additional 50 million RMB in military support to NA during CoAS Rana´s visit this week.
According to Ambassador Maskey, agreements on the 50 million RMB support as well as other Chinese support for the NA are likely to take place during Fang´s visit to Kathmandu.
During his stay in Beijing, CoAS Rana also held a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission Air Chief Marshal Xu Quliang. Rana assured the Chinese side that Nepal would not allow any ´anti-China´ activities to take place on Nepali soil.
According to the PLA Daily, CoAS Rana, while describing the PLA as a trusted friend, expressed a desire to expand military ties between NA and the PLA.
PLA chief Fang lauded Nepal´s ´one-China policy´ and the important support Nepal has been extending to China on Tibet-related issues. Fang said that China was eager to further strengthen military ties, provide trainings to NA personnel and exchange high level military visits between the two countries under the changed context.
CoAS Rana, who visited Beijing following the changes in the political and military leadership in China, was accorded special honors by the Chinese side. Rana was taken on visits to four of the seven military regions of China including Beijing, Shanxi, Yunan and Nanjing, via special military aircraft.
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