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Nepal seeks bln-dollar loan from China

AFP

Nepalese Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala is greeted by party cadres at the Tribhuvan International Airport before leaving for China on 8 September 2009. Nepalese Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala departed on a six-day official visit to China.AFP/Prakash Mathema/Nepal

Nepal has asked China for a one billion dollar loan to develop infrastructure in the desperately poor country, the foreign minister said Tuesday as she left for Beijing on an official visit.

Sujata Koirala said the money would be used to build roads, bridges, power plants and a new international airport in Nepal, which is still struggling to recover from a 10-year civil war that ended in 2006.

“The government of Nepal approached China for a soft loan of around one billion dollars for development activities,” Koirala told reporters at Kathmandu airport.

“We have already received a warm response from the Chinese government.”

Koirala, who will spend six days in Beijing ahead of a planned visit by Nepal’s prime minister, said Chinese concerns about protests by Tibetan exiles here would also be on the agenda.

Nepal, home to around 20,000 exiled Tibetans, supports Beijing’s “One China” policy that views Tibet as an integral part of China as it seeks to preserve friendly ties with its northern neighbour.

“We are very serious about this issue. We will reiterate our One-China policy and reassure them that we won’t allow and tolerate any anti-China activities in our country,” said Koirala.

“This is a goodwill visit aimed at strengthening political, economic and cultural ties with our friendly neighbour.”

Copyright © 2009 AFP

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