China to Extend Tibet Railway to Nepal

中国要把青藏铁路延伸至尼泊尔

The chairman of Tibet's government says China's new railway to Tibet will be extended to neighboring Nepal.

China's Xinhua news agency says Qiangba Puncog announced the plan Sunday during a meeting with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. Oli said the link will promote business exchanges and help remote Tibet connect to South Asia.

Stretching from the western Chinese city of Golmud (in Qinghai province) to Lhasa, China's railway into Tibet is the world's highest. Eighty percent of the line is above four thousand meters in altitude, and it rises above five thousand meters in some places. Passenger service opened last month.

Plans are in place to extend the railway next year from Lhasa to Xigaze, Tibet's second largest city.

Xinhua says China has five border crossings with Nepal, but only one highway.

西藏自治区主席表示，中国新铺设的青藏铁路将延伸到邻国尼泊尔。

新华社说，西藏自治区主席向巴平措星期天在西藏首府拉萨会见尼泊尔副首相奥利时宣布了这个计划。奥利说，这将促进双方的贸易往来，并有助于把边远的西藏和南亚地区连接起来。

青藏铁路从中国的西部城市格尔木通往拉萨。这是世界上海拔最高的铁路，80%的路段海拔高度达到4千米以上，某些路段甚至高于海拔5千米。该铁路7月开通了客运服务。

按照计划，青藏铁路在明年要延伸到西藏的第二大城市日喀则。

新华社说，中国和尼泊尔之间有5个过境点，但是只有一条公路。