Want to work positively with India to help Nepal: China

Beijing, Apr 28: Playing down reports of competition with India in quake relief efforts in Nepal, China on Tuesday said it would like to work with India "positively" to help the Himalayan nation to tide over the crisis.

"China and India are neighbours to Nepal. We would like to work together and coordinate positively with India in our assistance efforts in Nepal to help it to overcome the difficulties and rebuild its homeland," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here today. [Nepal Earthquake: Live Updates]

He was responding a question on the reported remarks by Nepalese Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey that Nepal has divided areas between India and China for quake relief.

"Since the Nepal was struck by the earthquake, international community including China and India extended helping hand to Nepal providing all kinds of assistance and support. We will continue to increase efforts in this regard," Hong said.

Yesterday, former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhang Chunxiang who addressed the media here on China's relations with South Asia denied any competition between New Delhi and Beijing in trying to help Kathmandu as part of effort to vie for influence in the Himalayan Kingdom.

"There is no competition in quake relief efforts. We do not have competition with India and other countries. There is no competition in humanitarian assistance," Zhang had said.

China is still evacuating about 8,000 tourists and workers employed different projects in Nepal, where China in recent years increased its influence manifold with liberal grants and project financing.

State-run CCTV, English has shown today Indian relief and rescue workers who were the first to reach the area with a number of planes and helicopters to rescue those caught in the rubble.

In recent months China has proposed trilateral cooperation with India for a policy coordination on Sri Lanka and Nepal in an effort to reduce frictions and misgivings over the its mega Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road initiatives.

PTI