BUTWAL, Jan 15:Province 5 Chief Minister Shankar Pokhrel has said there is a need for collaboration and cooperation for making relations between Lumbini and the heritage sites of China lively.

The Chief Minister expressed this during a meeting with Ambassador of China to Nepal Hou Yanqi at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers here on Wednesday.

He said Nepal and China are linked by the Buddhist culture and Lumbini is an important means for the fostering the relations between the two countries. Stating that he wanted at least one among the government's plan of constructing big industrial estates at Motipur of Rupandehi, Naubasta of Banke and Ghorahi of Dang in Province 5 should be built according to the Chinese model, Chief Minister Pokhrel expressed the belief that Chinese experience would be useful in upgrading and improving the service of Lumbini Provincial Hospital of Butwal and Rapti Provincial Hospital at Tulasipur.

He stated that the experience of China's Sichuan province regarding agriculture commercialization and industrial development would also be useful for the province. On the occasion, Chief Minister Pokhrel, through ambassador Hou, extended an invitation to the Sichuan province governor to visit the province. Sichuan province and Province 5 have sisterly relations.

Recalling his visit to Sichuan province some months back on which occasion he had held discussions regarding new technology in agriculture with the agriculture scientists there, the Chief Minister urged the Chinese ambassador to extend cooperation in technology transfer by bringing the agriculture scientists and experts from Sichuan to Nepal.

Similarly, he added that the Province 5 government has set the goal of contributing to the development of the entire country by making the province prosperous through commercialization of agriculture and tourism promotion.

CM Pokhrel also spoke of the possibility of exchange of visits of students of Lumbini Buddhist University and Nepal Sanskrit University of Nepal and the Confucius University which is considered an important centre of ancient learning in China. He also invited the Chinese ambassador to Lumbini on the occasion of the conclusion of Lumbini Visit Year and the Buddha Jayanti ceremony.

During the meeting, Chinese ambassador Hou congratulated Chief Minister Pokhrel for the achievement the province has made in economic development, Chief Minister's press advisor Sher Bahadur KC stated in a press note.

The Chinese ambassador said during the meeting that China would always support Nepal in its development endeavours and it is with Nepal at present as well when the latter has been moving ahead on the path of rapid development. She also expressed that the bilateral relations between the two countries has reached to further elevation following the visit of Chinese President to Nepal and the visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal to China some months back.

Stating that Lumbini is a major destination for Chinese visitors, ambassador Hou said support would be extended and encouragement given for operating direct flights between Chengdu of Sichuan and Bhairahawa. She believed that doing so would further the relations between Province 5 and Sichuan, the press note stated.

Ambassador Hou is on a visit to the Buddhist heritage sites including Lumbini and Tilaurakot of Kapilbastu.