KATHMANDU, July 6: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yang Houlan said on Friday that Beijing is willing to work with New Delhi to jointly support Nepal in achieving rapid development. Addressing a one-day seminar organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) in Kathmandu on High Growth Trajectory in China and India: Opportunities and Challenges to Harness Development Potentials, the envoy said China wants see Nepal developing friendly relations and cooperation in various fields with India.[break]
The envoy said China hopes that Nepal can seize opportunities to accelerate construction of infrastructures and other aspect and become transit station of trade, logistics and personnel between China and India and the whole South Asian region. "We stand ready to support you," he further said.
The envoy mentioned that the China-India strategic partnership has been continuously enriched and bilateral cooperation in various fields between the two growing economies further strengthened in recent years.
The bilateral trade volume between the two neighbors reached 73.9 billion US dollars, accounting for 78 percent of the total trade between China and South Asia in 2011.
“China will continue to expand imports from South Asian countries to resolve bilateral trade imbalance, and to increase mutual investment, promote the diversification of trade and economic development," he said.
Addressing the function, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha said the economic relations between China and India will have considerable impact on Nepal´s economy in view of the open borders in the south and increasing infrastructure development in the north.
"Nepal´s ´land-linked´ position would serve not only her own interests but also those of both her neighbors," he said. Minister Shrestha added that Nepal´s strategic locations can be beneficial to investors, manufacturers and businessmen locating their investments, manufacturing plants and businesses in Nepal and they may access to markets in our both sides.
"Therefore, India and China will also benefit from such interdependence in terms of opportunities that will be available for their trade and investment as well," he further said.
Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai and IFA Executive Director Dr Rishi Raj Adhikari stressed that Nepal should be able to exploit the opportunities provided by the economic growth in India and China.
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