Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Nepal-China Tibet trade fair begins in Kathmandu
A five-day Nepal-China Tibet Economic and Trade Fair 2003 kicked off in Kathmandu Tuesday with an aim to increase investment, expand border trade and explore newtrade channels between Nepal and China, especially China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
A five-day Nepal-China Tibet Economic and Trade Fair 2003 kicked off in Kathmandu Tuesday with an aim to increase investment, expand border trade and explore newtrade channels between Nepal and China, especially China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
As many as 25 enterprises from the Chinese side, which consist of border trade companies and manufacturers in the Tibet Autonomous Region, are participating in the fair and exhibiting nearly 1,000 types of different commodities, including motorcycles,Tibetan medicines, garments and touring products.
During the trade fair, the Chinese side is also organizing various cultural programs to enhance cultural exchanges between the two countries and display the magnificent cultural tradition of China.
"We hope the trade fair to be a platform of discussing various issues in the field of bilateral trade, which aims to promote the trade cooperation between the two sides to a win-win phase," Nepali Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Hari Bahadur Basnet said at the opening ceremony.
Basnet urged for the elimination of tarriff and non-tarriff trade barriers between the two sides, and hoped China will increase its investment to Nepal.
"The Nepali government can formulate new policies and regulations in a bid to create a good environment for the Chinese investment," he said.
"The Tibet Autonomous Region of China has always taken the development of its trade relationship with Nepal as the focus of its trade policy, and the two sides have attached great importanceto promoting bilateral economic and trade exchanges," said Tsering,vice-chairman of the people's government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, who has headed an economic and trade delegation of the Region to attend the fair.
The Nepal-China Tibet Economic and Trade Fair is one of the most important bilateral exchange and cooperation activities regularly held between Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Since its debut in 1985, the two sides have been hosting the trade fair alternatively every two years.