MUSTANG: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming arrived in Lomanthang of Upper Mustang as part of a seven-member team that entered Nepal through the Korala border point.
Mustang Chief District Officer Ajita Sharma confirmed the ambassador’s arrival in Mustang via Korala.
“The Chinese ambassador has arrived in Mustang through Korala, but we have not yet received detailed information about the purpose and schedule of the visit,” Sharma said.
The ambassador is on a three-day visit to Mustang. The delegation includes six other members, including five Chinese nationals. The team is scheduled to return to China through the Korala border point today.
According to Tasinarbu Gurung, chairperson of Lomanthang Rural Municipality, the ambassador visited Mustang to assess the current status of the Korala border point.
The visit comes at a time when there have been growing calls for the reopening and expansion of the Korala border point. The border crossing has gained added significance after the Bhotekoshi River floods damaged the area around the Tatopani border point, which has long served as an alternative trade route to Kerung.
With the Rasuwa and Tatopani border crossings disrupted, the Mustang Customs Office has been collecting around Rs 300 million in revenue daily, according to local officials.
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