Kathmandu: Hon. Shisir Khanal, Minister for Foreign Affairs, had gone to China for a 4-day official visit at the cordial invitation of H.E. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. He left on June 14 and has now returned on June 17.
Upon his return, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly released a press note on summary of the official visit.
During the visit, Minister Khanal held a bilateral meeting with Minister Wang in Beijing on June 15. On the occasion, the delegations of both the countries had an in-depth and fruitful discussion on all aspects of Nepal-China bilateral relations. There was a consensus between both parties on strengthening Nepal-China relations based on mutual friendship, goodwill and cooperation. Reiterating the commitment of the Government of Nepal towards the ‘One China Principle,’ Minister Khanal said, “it has been made clear that the land of Nepal will not be used against the interests of China.” The Chinese side also reiterated the strong support of the Chinese government towards the sovereignty, geographical integrity and independence of Nepal. The belief has been expressed that there will be full support for the priorities specified by the Nepal government in the field of good governance and economic development.
Similarly, while reaffirming mutual respect and commitment to each other’s priorities and sensitivities, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in various fields including infrastructure, connectivity, border management, energy, trade, investment, agriculture, technology transfer, information technology and digitalization, tourism, chemical fertilizers, petroleum and natural gas exploration and people-to-people relations.
Likewise, both Ministers expressed commitment to speedy implementation of bilateral programs and projects agreed in the past. Emphasis has been placed on promoting cooperation on matters of common interest in multilateral and regional forums.
After the meeting, Minister Khanal attended the dinner hosted by Minister Wang.
Earlier, on the same day, Minister Khanal had a meeting with H.E. Liu Haixing, Minister of International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) of the People’s Republic of China. They both exchanged views on strengthening Nepal-China relations and expanding bilateral cooperation. They also discussed the possibility of expanding contact and cooperation between the parties.
Minister Khanal met with the Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Wang Huning, on June 16. On the occasion, they discussed strengthening the harmonious, friendly and cooperative relations between Nepal and China in the future, as well as promoting cooperation in priority areas.
On the same day that evening, Minister Khanal participated in the Investment Conference organized by the Nepal Embassy in Beijing with the aim of promoting Chinese investment in Nepal. He said, “I had fruitful meetings with Chinese businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors.” On the same occasion, a presentation was made by the representative of the Nepal Investment Board on the subject ‘Invest in Nepal: Opportunities, Incentives and Partnership Prospects’ followed by a detailed interaction between the participants. The Minister addressed the program where he called upon Chinese investors to invest in Nepal and build a new chapter of mutual economic growth and prosperity. He informed that the Government of Nepal is committed to creating an investment and business-friendly environment by highlighting the existing economic potential and demographic strength in Nepal.
During the visit, Minister Khanal also met and interacted with the representatives of the Nepali community in China by participating in the reception organized by the Nepal Embassy in Beijing. “I called upon them to actively participate in the campaign of nation building, informing them about the priorities of the Nepal government to institutionalize good governance, economic development and prosperity,” he stated. After getting information about the work of the embassy, he instructed the officials there to effectively conduct economic and development diplomacy while strengthening Nepal-China relations and provide effective services by protecting the interests of Nepalis in China.
In a separate meeting with Nepali, Chinese, and International media held at the Embassy, he expressed his views on Nepal’s foreign policy, Nepal-China relations, the priorities of the newly formed government and Nepal’s engagement with the international community.
Minister Khanal also visited the White Stupa at the Miaoying Temple in Beijing. He said, “Designed by Nepal’s National Heritage Araniko, this cultural heritage stands as a symbol of the multifaceted cultural and people-to-people relationship between Nepal and China. In addition, Nepal’s historical benign power, international recognition of Nepali craftsmen and Nepali architecture remain as an example.”
He visited the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Saigari, Beijing. He got information about the activities of that institution and the cooperation with other Nepali institutions including Tribhuvan University. In the interaction with the high level officials of the organization, he emphasized the need to make the cooperation between Nepal and China deeper and more fruitful in the field of science and technology.
He also received information about the activities and priorities of the Zhongguancun Science Park, China’s first High-Tech and National Innovation Demonstration Zone in Beijing.
In the press note, Minister Khanal stated, “During my visit to the People’s Republic of China, I met with the foreign minister and high-ranking officials and my participation in other programs has made a significant contribution to strengthening the friendly and multifaceted Nepal-China relations and continuously expanding and strengthening cooperation on matters of mutual interest. Apart from this, I believe that this visit has provided significant support in the direction of achieving the goal of the Nepalese government to promote economic and development diplomacy by expanding free, practical and cooperative relations with all countries including its neighbors.”
He expressed his gratitude to the Government of China for the warm hospitality extended to the delegation led by him during the visit and also expressed his sincere thanks to all media colleagues for continuously covering the news about the visit.
