Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and visiting deputy chief of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian signed an agreement to this effect, during their meeting in the capital.
After signing on the agreement paper, Minister Thapa told journalists that the Chinese assistance involves non-lethal equipments. “Both the sides will sit together and mutually decide on the type of the assistance (in the future),” said minister Thapa, adding that the assistance will not affect the ongoing peace process.
“He (Ma Xiaotian) also said China will positively support the army integration process,” said the defense minister. Lt. Gen. Ma arrived in Kathmandu Saturday in a three-day visit, barely a week after Chinese Minister Yang Jiechi completed his visit to Nepal.
During Minister Thapa´s visit to China in September, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie had first made an announcement to provide military assistance to Nepal.
Related story
What Nepal can learn from China
