Experts urge more cooperation in trans-Himalaya region

Experts from China and seven Asian countries have called for strengthened cooperation in the trans-Himalaya region in line with China-proposed Belt and Road initiative.

Efforts should be made toward establishing a Himalaya community, suggested Jagannath Panda, an Indian researcher at the first Trans-Himalaya Development Forum held in Dehong, southwest China's Yunnan Province on Monday.

Trans-Himalaya cooperation is in line with the Belt and Road strategy and India is willing to participate, adding tourism development and college exchange should be strengthened among countries in the region, he said.

The two-day forum attracts more than 130 scholars from China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. It focuses on trans-Himalaya cooperation and the Belt and Road initiative.

It is sponsored by the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

The Silk Road Economic Belt, together with the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, commonly known as the "Belt and Road" initiative, were proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. The initiative brings together countries in Asia, Europe and even Africa via land and maritime networks.

Trans-Himalaya countries should join hands to tackle challenges in security and climate change, which has caused glaciers to shrink in the region, said Khalid Rahman, a policy researcher from Pakistan.

The trans-Himalaya region covers an area of more than 15 million sq km, with a population of three billion.

Regional cooperation should be used to turn the Himalayas from a natural barrier into a bridge of communication, said Ji Zhiye, president of the institute.

With vast areas and rich resources, the region boasts great development potential, said Gao Shuxun, vice governor of Yunnan.