CHINA PROPOSES FIVE AREAS OF COOPERATION

CHINA’S STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER ZHOU YONGKANG CONCLUDES NEPAL VISIT THURSDAY

Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: China has proposed five areas of cooperation as Zhou Yongkang, the fourth ranking of nine members of the powerful standing committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), concluded a three-day Nepal visit Thursday.
Zhou is the highest ranking Chinese functionary to visit Nepal in eight years.
China´s offer came at the end of the visit of a high-level delegation led by Zhou Yongkang, member of the standing committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, Republica reports.
“The two sides [Nepal and China] agreed that entering the second decade of 21st century China and Nepal should work hard to add vigor and substance to their good neighborly relations,” said Yang Yani, assistant minister for International Department, Central Committee of Communist Party of China, at a press conference Wednesday evening.
To achieve the end, she said, China has proposed to extend cooperation and exchanges in five different areas. The first proposed area of cooperation is promotion of exchanges of high level visits. Second, the northern neighbor has proposed Nepal to expand cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, transportation, information technology, infrastructure development, hydropower construction and poverty alleviation.
Similarly, Yani said China has proposed to Nepal to further expand cooperation in areas of security, education, human resource development, tourism and cultural exchanges.
The fourth area of cooperation proposed by China is broadening of cooperation between Communist Party of China and various political parties of Nepal. The last proposed area relates to maintaining close coordination and cooperation on major global issues like global financial crisis, climate change, energy, food security, security and SAARC.
"These are all areas of cooperation of high interest to both sides," she told journalists.
“Nepal should use opportunity offered by its two close neighbours—India and China.
:Nepal should expand and enhance its relations with China and India on he basis of five principles of peace coexistence,” she said.
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FRIENDLY TIES WITH CHINA NEPAL’S ALL-TIME POLICY: PM KHANAL





Kathmandu, 18 Aug : Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal Wednesday said that Nepal’s permanent policy would remain oriented towards strengthening its friendly relations with China whichever government came to the helms here, Ram Prasad Dahaal writes in The Rising Nepal.
During a meeting at his office in Singha Durbar with a visiting 60-member high-level Chinese delegation led by a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC, Zhou Yongkang, who is also the special representative of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Khanal highlighted the age-old relations between the two countries that developed more rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955.
"The relationship is based on panchasheela and we have been following a long standing policy of recognising one China and not allowing from Nepali soil any anti-China activities," PM Khanal told the delegation, according to a statement issued by PM’s Foreign Affairs advisor Milan Raj Tuladhar.
Khanal thanked Zhou for bringing the goodwill of Chinese people and also for the aid packages under various agreements.
"He said that the present visit made in such a critical juncture of Nepal’s transition period shows the sincere spirit of friendship from the Chinese government towards Nepal. He hoped that the two countries will continue to have closer ties and economic cooperation in the days to come," the statement quoted the PM as saying.
During the meeting, Zhou greatly appreciated the Nepalese government for its continued policy of friendship with China.
He said that he had a talk with Premier Wen before setting out for Nepal and Wen sent his best wishes to Prime Minister Khanal and through him to the people of Nepal.
According to the press release, Zhou sincerely hoped for the successful conclusion of the present transition period so that tasks of peace and constitution would be completed and stability established in the country.
Zhou informed the delegation was here during the current political transition as China gave a high importance for relations with Nepal.
Tuladhar informed the media people that the Chinese team leader said China would continue to help Nepali people in how they wanted to move ahead in the coming days.
He shared China’s experience of the development process, particularly since the last 32 years, and stressed the importance of peace and stability if a nation wanted to raise its people’s living standards and worked for the overall growth of the country.
Prime Minister Khanal extended an invitation to Premier Wen Jiabao to visit Nepal at his earliest convenience. The Chinese delegation also handed over the Chinese Prime Minister’s invitation to Khanal to visit China.
Chinese assistance
In the presence of PM Khanal, an agreement was signed by the two sides on a Rs 1.67 billion grant assistance and a Rs 1.7 billion loan assistance provided by the Chinese side.
The People’s Republic of China has agreed to provide the grant assistance to the government of Nepal for the implementation of mutually agreed development projects as part of the continuing economic and technical cooperation mechanism between the governments of China and Nepal.
The agreements to this effect was signed and exchanged in the capital by Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota and Chen Jian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce of China.
Similarly, the Public Security Ministry of the People’s Republic of China has

agreed to provide a grant of Rs 110 million in the form of police equipments to the government of Nepal.
The main objective of this assistance is said to be to support and enhance the capacity of the police forces in Nepal.
Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Leela Mani Paudyal signed a letter of exchange on behalf of Nepal and Meng Hongwei, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Public Security, signed on behalf of the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
Likewise, the Export-Import Bank of China has agreed to provide a loan assistance of Rs 1.7 billion to the government of Nepal for the implementation of Kathmandu 220 KV Transmission Line and 132 KV Bay Extension Works Project of the Upper Trishuli III ‘A’ Hydropower Project.
The Framework Agreement and Government Concessional Loan Agreement amounting 640 million Yuan was concluded in February, 2011.
The Upper Trishuli III ‘A’ Hydropower Project is expected to generate 60 MW and is under construction with the loan assistance of Chinese government through the Export-Import Bank of China.
The Executing Agency and the Implementing Agency of the Project are Ministry of Energy and Nepal Electricity Authority, respectively. The Upper Trishuli III ‘A’ Hydropower Project is expected to be completed by May, 2014.
The Framework Agreement was signed and exchanged today in the capital by the Finance Secretary, Krishna Hari Baskota and Chen Jian, Vice Minister, Ministry of Commerce, and the Loan Agreement was signed by Baskota and Li Jun, Vice President, Export-Import Bank of China.
The government of Nepal has expressed its sincere appreciation to the Chinese government and the Export-Import Bank of China for this assistance, stated the Ministry of Finance by issuing a press release.
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SOUTH KOREA HIRING 15,000 NEPALI WORKERS

Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: South Korea has decided to hire altogether 15,000 Nepali workers in 2012 although Korea agreed to hire 7,100 Nepalis under an Employment Permit System (EPS) in 2012.
The quota was increased from 10,000 to 15,000 in just two weeks.
South Korea started hiring Nepalis in 2008.to meet domestic demand for workers.
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HOUSES INUNDATED IN BIRGUNJ, BIRATNAGAR; TWO KILLED IN KAILALI FLOODS





Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: Hundreds of houses have been inundated in Birjung and Biratnagar Thursday after incessant rain and widespread damage has been reported in Jhapa where rivers and streams have risen.
Two persons died and 250 families were displaced after torrential rainfall lashed several parts of Kailali district for four days, The Rising Nepal reports.
Tika Rani Devi Chaudhari, 40, of Bhajani VDC and Bhawani Chaudhari, 40, of Malakheti-9 died in the floods.
Chaudhari died when she was fishing nearby a canal and drowned to death Wednesday morning.
Bhawani Chaudhari died when she got electrocuted from a broken electric pole from where current is flowing. She got electrocuted while she was crossing a local river this morning. The electricity lines were broken by the strong flood waves that caused the electrocution, Area Police Office, Malakheti said.
Similarly, 250 families were displaced by the Mohana River floods. They were displaced when the floods inundated their houses of Lalbhoji VDC-1.
About 100 household families of Himmatpur VDC-1, 85 families of Charra VDC, and 60 families of Bangaun VDC were displaced, Amar Kathariya, a local of the village said.
Two boats have been used to transport all goods and property of the displaced families and the displaced were shifted to nearby Pratikchya Community forest, Kathariya said. All displaced families were also taking shelter at the community forest.
Basanta Panta, police chief of Kailali said that they mobilized security personnel from Bhajani police post for necessary rescue operation. Similarly, the torrential rainfall has also affected normal life in the district headquarters Dhangadi and Attariya area.
A woman was drowned to death due to the flood following incessant rainfall over the past four days in Dhangadhi on Wednesday. South-eastern part of the district has been inundated and four people have lost their lives due to the rainfall.
The deceased has been identified as Tikarani Chaudhary of Thekargaun, Bhajani-3.
It has been reported that Hikmatpur VDC including Piriniya, Tikune, Kusamghat, Bardawafaat, Naya basti, Dhursi Gaun of Bhajani VDC have been inundated. Some 100 families have been displaced from the village.
Around 10-12 VDCs of South-eastern area will be inundated if the rainfall continues, said Siddha Raj Joshi of Bhajani.
Normal life in the district has been affected due to the rainfall.

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