China sees Nepal natural area for ties with India

Nepal is a natural area for cooperation between China and India, the Chinese government's top diplomat State Councillor Wang Yi said on Wednesday, as he invited India to participate in connectivity projects between the three nations, reports Reuters.

The landlocked Himalayan nation has traditionally looked to India for economic support and trade, but Nepal has increasingly been courted by China with transport deals, to New Delhi's unease.

In 2016 Nepal's then prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, sealed deals with Beijing to use Chinese roads and ports, seeking to reduce Nepal's dependence on India for trade and transit.