China to help Nepal overcome energy crisis

Nepal, the Himalayan nation, which serves as a natural buffer between China and India, adopted its first post-monarchy Constitution in September hoping this would bring peace and stability after years of conflict. But for the last three months, protesters have blocked trucks coming in from India, leading to acute shortages of fuel and medicine. Nepal has blamed New Delhi for siding with the protesters, a charge India denies. 

Speaking in Beijing after meeting, Nepali Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa said he had asked China to consider the long-term trade in petroleum products. Wang, standing next to Thapa, said Nepal had been almost totally dependent on India for overland supplies following earthquakes this year that killed nearly 9,000 people and blocked crossings from China. China reopened a border crossing with Nepal in October and said it was using it to send in the supplies. Old rivals India and China have used aid and investment to court Nepal for years. Wang said Nepal could become a place for win-win cooperation between China and India, rather than “a sports field for competitive games”.