China and Nepal to build trans-Himalayan network
China and Nepal have agreed to build the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, the foreign ministry said, following a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries. As part of the agreement, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China would finance the feasibility study of a China-Nepal cross-border railway and send experts to Nepal to conduct surveys this year, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson at the foreign ministry, told a regular media briefing in Beijing on Thursday. The network, under the Belt and Road initiative, will involve the building of railways and communication networks. During a landmark visit by President Xi Jinping to Nepal in 2019, China and Nepal elevated their relationship to a "strategic partnership". During their meeting earlier, Wang told his Nepalese counterpart Narayan Khadka that no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China and Nepal have always firmly supported each other on issues involving core interests. He noted that the two countries are connected by mountains and rivers, and enjoy an ever-lasting friendship. (Xinhua/Reuters)