KATHMANDU: China is ready to offer necessary assistance to fuel-starved Nepal, the spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry said. 'Chinese side is ready to offer necessary assistance at the request of the Nepali government as a friendly neighbour to relieve its shortage of fuel supply,' Hua Chunying said in a regular press conference in Beijing on Monday. Responding to a query, she further said that the Chinese and Nepali sides are in close communication on that. A government team left for China to hold dialogues concerning the import of petroleum from China to Nepal yesterday. Nepal is currently reeling under acute shortage of petroleum products after the Madhes-based parties intensified their agitation in the wake of promulgation of new Constitution on September 20 and obstructed the Nepal-India border. Meanwhile, petroleum products to be provided to Nepal by China as grant assistance is expected to reach Rasuwagadhi by tomorrow. Preparations have been made to ferry the fuel from Rasuwagadhi, bordering Tibet, to Kathmandu. Nepal Oil Corporation has already asked the petroleum transporters to keep fuel tankers on standby to bring 1,000 tonnes of petroleum products from China. READ ALSO: 

• Nepal team off to China to finalise fuel import procedures
• Nepal Oil Corporation tells transporters to keep fuel tankers on standby