TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平) arrived in Nepal on Saturday (Oct. 12) to discuss business deals and border management with Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, but the Himalayan nation did not sign a treaty that would allow the extradition of Tibetan migrants to China, according to CNA.

Nepal shares a 1,414-kilometer-long border with China and is home to around 20,000 Tibetan exiles. According to The Himalayan Times, 22 "free Tibet" movement campaigners and human rights activists were recently arrested by the Nepalese police, 11 of whom were Tibetan refugees.

Xi is the first Chinese leader to visit Nepal in 23 years. Many have speculated that the meeting is China's way of pressuring Nepalese officials into signing an extradition treaty that would render Tibetans' escape from China via Nepal impossible.

With the global community focused on the months-long protests in Hong Kong, Xi warned, "Anyone attempting to split China will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones." Nepal has expressed support for the "One China" policy, reported Yahoo News.

Xi also promised to provide Nepal with RMB$3.5 billion (US$500 million) over the next two years. During his two-day visit, the leaders inked 20 agreements, including on a trans-Himalayan railway and other infrastructure projects, reported RFI.