China and Nepal resumed the opening of traditional border trade points

China and Nepal resumed the opening of traditional border trade points after a lapse of four years.

A ceremony was held Saturday in Chentang Town, Dingjie County, Shigaze City, Tibet autonomous Region, Xinhua reported. Chentang Town, Zhongba County, Tubarong County, Jirong County, Tashigang County, Nyalam County, Rongzhi County, Dingjie County, Riwu County and other traditional border trade points were reopened.

At the site of the resumption ceremony, 110 Chinese merchants and 47 Nepalese merchants in the traditional border trade point of Chentang conducted transactions on more than 50 kinds of commodities, including daily necessities, building materials, food and beverages, agricultural products, and Nepalese handicrafts.

Traditional border trade between China and Nepal has been suspended in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, China's Tibet News Network reported.

According to the report, the traditional border trade activities are a unique form of trade in the border areas, and also an important platform to ensure the supply of production and living materials for the bilateral border people.

Feng Xuecheng, director of the Bureau of Commerce of Shigatse City, said that traditional border trade activities are conducive to the prosperity and development of border areas and exchanges and cooperation between border people on both sides. The next step will be to continuously improve border trade infrastructure and promote economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between China and Nepal.

As a central city open to South Asia, Shigatse borders India, Nepal and Bhutan and has five land treaty ports.