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KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal has opened an optical fiber link across the Himalayan mountains to China, ending years of dependency on India for internet access.

Information minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet inaugurated the link with China on Friday in a ceremony in the capital, Kathmandu.

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The optical fiber line crosses into China from the Rasuwagadhi border point, northwest of Kathmandu.

Until Friday, landlocked Nepal’s only internet connections were through three access points in neighbouring India. China is providing an additional route to the global internet.

Nepal is covered on three sides by India, which has an extensive influence on its economy and politics. China and Nepal share a border covered with high mountain peaks.