KATHMANDU, Nov 9: Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed the authorities concerned to advance the construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway project with high quality.

According to a report published in the Global Times, which is the Chinese government’s mouthpiece, President Xi called the project a major step in safeguarding national unity and a significant move in promoting economic and social development of the western region.

Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, gave the instruction ahead of the beginning of the construction of the railway's Ya'an-Nyingchi section on Sunday.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway is a strategic, 1,011-kilometer-long rail link running from Ya'an in Sichuan Province to Nyingchi in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region - a project set to benefit many in the region. It is expected to take 10 years to complete the project, which is expected to be completed in 2030.

The construction of Sichuan-Tibet Railway project is expected to help link Nepal with the Chinese railway. Nepal and China have already agreed to expand the Chinese railway network up to Nepal.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will be the second railway in Tibet after the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. It will go through the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's most geologically active areas. The difficulty involved in the construction is rarely seen elsewhere, due to the complex geological and climatic conditions and fragile ecological environment along the railway.

 
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