The Asia Pacific Exchange and Co-operation Foundation (APECF) is a Chinese-government-backed organisation, based in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. It is controversially planning to invest US$3 billion in the small

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

ese town of

Lumbini Lumbinī (, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. The Buddhist commentaries state that Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini around 624 BCE. Gautama is bel ...

, birthplace of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

, to create a 'Mecca' for Buddhists of all strands.At Buddha’s birthplace
", ''The Economist'', 20 Aug 2011. Retrieved 22 Aug 2011. In June 2011, it was reported in the Chinese media to have signed an agreement with the

United Nations Industrial Development Organization The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (French: Organisation des Nations unies pour le développement industriel; French/Spanish acronym: ONUDI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in e ...

for the project, which will help Lumbini "transcend religion, ideology and race" in its work to rejuvenate the culture and spirit of Buddhism, according to executive vice chairman

Xiao Wunan Xiao may refer to: * Filial piety (), or "being good to parents", a virtue in Chinese culture * Xiao (flute) (), a Chinese end-blown flute * Xiao (rank) (), a rank used for field officers in the Chinese military * Xiao County (), in Anhui, China ...

.Foundation, UN to transform Buddha's birthplace
, ''China Daily'', 18 July 2011. Retrieved 22 Aug 2011. The investment is enormous, constituting almost ten percent of Nepal's gross domestic product. However, neither the Nepalese government nor the local authorities were consulted about the project, they say.

Organisation

The joint chairmen of APECF have varied backgrounds. They include Steven Clark Rockefeller Jr, a fifth-generation member of the Rockefeller family;

Jack Rosen Jack Rosen (born 1949) is an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and activist. He is chairman of the American Jewish Congress and chairman of the American Council for World Jewry. He is the Chairman of New York real estate firm Rosen ...

, chairman of the

American Jewish Congress The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress) is an association of American Jews organized to defend Jewish interests in the US and internationally through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts. History The idea for a ...

;

Leon Charney Leon Charney (July 23, 1938 – March 21, 2016) was an American real estate tycoon, attorney, author, philanthropist, political pundit, media personality and Jewish cantor. He lived in Manhattan in New York City, dividing his time between his re ...

, a real estate tycoon and former US presidential adviser;

Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal (; born Ghanashyam Dahal, 11 December 1954), alias ''Prachanda'' (, , "fierce"), is a Nepalese politician, currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition, since July 2024. He has served as the Prime Minister of Nepal ...

, leader of the

Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre) or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal and a member party of Samajbadi Morcha. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communi ...

and former

Prime Minister of Nepal The prime minister of Nepal (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of Nepal. The prime minister leads the Council of Ministers of Nepal, Council of Ministers and holds the chief executive authority in the country. They must maintain ...

; and Paras, the former Nepali crown prince whose father's monarchy was overthrown by Prachanda's forces. The executive vice-chairman of the foundation is

References

{{Reflist International economic organizations Rupandehi District Economy of Nepal Foreign relations of China