China agrees to build railway into Nepal

China agrees to build railway into Nepal On Monday, China and Nepal signed ten bilateral agreements including a commitment from China to build rail links to the landlocked country (PTI, Reuters). Nepal has struggled to decrease its dependence on its southern neighbor, India, and last year, as Nepal put in place its first post-monarchy constitution, protesters blocked trucks coming in from India, leading to acute shortages of fuel and medicine. Nepal blamed New Delhi for supporting the protesters. Other agreements between China and Nepal include a feasibility plan for a free trade agreement, as well a concessional loan for a new airport in Nepal's second largest city, Pokhara.