KATHMANDU, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Nepali officials on Friday highly praised development in China's Tibet Autonomous Region and stressed the need to replicate those development models in this Himalayan country.
Attending a special function to mark the Chinese Tibetan Losar organized by the Chinese embassy, Nepali ministers and government officials appreciated the steps taken by China's Tibet Autonomous Region in infrastructures and economic development.
Talking exclusively to Xinhua, Ramesh Lekhak, Nepali Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, said that Nepal needs to learn a lot from China, with special attention to infrastructure development of Tibet Autonomous Region.
"Nepal and Tibet share friendship from ancient times. We have mutual cooperation on so many sectors and we should shake hands for mutual prosperity", the minister said.
His remarks were echoed by another Nepali minister who shared that Nepal still has a long way to reach the development height of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, which is also very rich in culture and tradition.
"We have good ties especially in trading through various border points, either in normal situation or during the crisis period. There is a need of stregthening this bonding", Shankar Bhandari, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation shared with Xinhua.
Reiterating the commitment to the one-China policy, both ministers were of view that Nepal has not been able to develop as compared to border-sharing China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
In the event attended by Nepali Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong paid tribute to all the Tibetan compatriots living in Nepal for their care and support for the development of China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
She said that China's Tibet enjoyed economic development, social stability and ethnic solidarity in 2016, with the gross production in the Tibet Autonomous Region reaching 114.8 billion yuan.
She added that Tibet is enjoying double digit growth rate for the 24th year in a row.
Since the infrastructure achieved a major breakthrough in China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the recent times, Nepali government officials argued that replicating those models in Nepal can be highly beneficial.
Govinda Prasad Pokharel, CEO at National Reconstruction Authority, the authoritative body to carry out post-quake tasks, told Xinhua, "The efficiency and quality of infrastructures that they have achieved in Tibet, its very successful. Their base and speed of development is very strong, which we can adopt here."
Stating that the rapid progress in China's Tibet Autonomous Region is a very good example for Nepal.
Pashupati Murarka, President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) told Xinhua, "We cannot compare but in regard to infrastructures and tourism development, the difference is vast.
Currently, we are only importing products from China via Tibet. But in future, we are hopeful we will be able to extend the direct bussiness."
