Cross-border railway dream of generations of leaders and peoples of Nepal and China

Cooperation between Nepal and other nations, such as the US and India, should be conducted on a basis of equality.

New Chinese envoy to Nepal Chen Song presented his credentials to President Bidya Devi Bhandari on January 13. He took office just after Nepal had just gotten a new prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. How does the ambassador view his new assignment? What is his assessment of progress on Nepal-China railway and on reopening border points? Will China soon start sending tourists to Nepal? And how does he see the growing geopolitical competition between big powers in Nepal? Chen answers all these—and a few more—queries in this e-mail interview with the Post’s Biswas Baral . Excerpts: