BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuter) - King Birendra of Nepal has told China his nation will not become the tool of people who want Tibetan independence from Beijing, the official China Daily newspaper said on Saturday.

King Birendra, in Tibet at the start of a one-week unofficial visit to China, said the Nepalese government had "maintained a sharp vigilance against such intentions," the newspaper said.

Nepal shares a long mountain border with the restive Himalayan region, where opposition to Beijing's four-decade rule is widespread.

Chinese official media has often accused foreign forces, notably the United States, of seeking to support Tibetan independence activists.

King Birenda told Gyaicain Norbu, chairman of the Tibetan government, that Nepal would not "become a tool for others to split Tibet," the newspaper said.

Gyaicain told the royal visitor increased cooperation between Nepal and Tibet was possible in the fields of trade, tourism, communications and sports, it said. It gave no details.

REUTER