Still unexplained
The hunt for the origins of Covid-19 has for the past four years been a tangled web of politics, power struggles, and international finger-pointing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Nepal on Saturday on a state visit for talks with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and both sides are expected to sign a deal expanding a railway link between the Himalayan nation and Tibet, according to officials.
Xi, the first Chinese president to visit Nepal in 22 years, arrived from India, where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nepal, a natural buffer between India and China, has been trying to lessen its dependence on New Delhi.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari greeted Xi on arrival at the airport ringed by hills. Thousands of people stood along the flower festooned route to welcome the Chinese leader as he drove from the airport to the hotel.
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During a state banquet in honour of Xi, President Bhandari said in a statement that there are immense possibilities of taking forward the warm and friendly relations between Nepal and China.
He said that China would carry out a feasibility study on the railway connection between the two countries.
The Chinese President said Nepal’s demand on issues related to climate change would be addressed, adding that China would help Nepal in preserving the Mt. Everest and mountainous region in Nepal.
He pledged to increase investment in the education sector of Nepal, and encourage Chinese to promote Visit Nepal Year 2020.
He said China would take initiative to inspire its nationals, especially, Buddhists to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The Chinese President said China would address Nepal’s concerns about climate change aside from promising to safeguarding common planet earth and maintaining ecology around the Sagarmatha region.
Chinese President visits leads a delegation comprising State Councillor and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi among other high ranking officials.
(With IANS inputs)
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