Chief minister Nitish Kumar welcomes ambassador of China to India Zhang Yan (centre) and his wife Chen Wangxia at Samvad in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Jan. 20: The Chinese ambassador to India Zhang Yan today announced $100 million (nearly Rs 500 crore) as aid to the Nalanda International University in the making besides offering cooperation to Bihar in developing the agricultural and industrial infrastructure in the state.

Zhang’s maiden visit to the state and offer of cooperation after a week of the World Bank president, Robert B. Zoellick visiting it and agreeing to release $220 million for the reconstruction of the area devastated by the Kosi floods has, apparently, brightened the climate of investment in the state from international agencies.

Zoellick had encouraged chief minister Nitish Kumar by lauding the latter’s efforts to develop the state. Zhang added more music to Nitish’s ears by profusely praising him for ushering in “many positive changes” in the state.

“I am happy to learn that the Bihar chief minister has been executing fast-paced development in Bihar,” he said.

Zhang, who is scheduled to visit Nalanda, Rajgir and other Buddhist sites tomorrow, recalled how China had a strong cultural and educational bond with India in general and Bihar in particular for centuries.

“I am excited and extremely happy to visit the land which great Chinese scholar and Buddhist monk, Hiuen Tsang, had visited and studied at way back in 7th century A.D.,” Zhang, who was talking to the reporters here with Nitish Kumar, said.

The Chinese ambassador predicted that the Nalanda International University, which is coming up with the support of several Asian countries, would turn out to be an “excellent platform for cooperation among the countries concerned”.

China could go a long way in helping Bihar set up agro-based industries and also assisting it in other areas of infrastructure development. “China is relatively better at agriculture and agro-based industries. It is ready to help Bihar trying to improve its agricultural infrastructure,” Zhang said, inviting the Bihar chief minister to visit China.

The ambassador pointed out that the prices of food products were rising across the nations.

“It is quite appropriate to strengthen the agriculture sector to address the growing demand of food product,” he said.

Nitish, who otherwise stays shy of visiting foreign countries, said he would consider Zhang’s invitation to visit China.

The chief minister admitted that he had “productive dialogue” with the Chinese ambassador on the issue developing roads, agriculture and industries in the state. “We are happy that the Chinese ambassador has shown interest in the development of the state.”

A brainchild of the former India president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Nitish Kumar, a detailed plan worth $1 billion was drawn up to revive the Nalanda University near the ancient centre of education in 2006.

The Bihar government, through a legislation, has handed over the project to the central government and a consortium of Singapore, China, India, Japan besides other countries is at work to raise the fund and revive the university.

The Nalanda mentor group is headed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and comprises Meghnath Desai, N.K. Singh, Sugata Bose, Wang Banwei Ikuo Hiryama, George Yeo and Tansen Sen.

Zhang said he would meet the scholar and experts associated with the project, which would turn out to be “a great asset in Asia”.