Rail In Nepal, KP Oli

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is considering extending a rail line from the Tibetan capitol of Lhasa to Kathmandu in Nepal, and tunneling under Mount Everest to do so, AFP reports.

The project would involve tacking on about 400 miles of rail to an already 1,200 mile track which takes 25 hours to traverse as it is. The move would provide easy transport in one of the trickiest terrains in the world, and increase China’s influence in the region.Historically, the mountain range that holds eight of the world’s fourteen peaks that top 8,000 meters in altitude has served as a practical and cultural barrier. Nepal has long been in India’s sphere of influence, but in recent years China has bought in to the struggling nation by investing in infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

According to state-run Chinese media outlets, Nepal has apparently responded favorably, requesting that the line be built. If tunneling under the world’s tallest mountain sounds like a difficult and involved ordeal, that’s because it is.

-