Xi’s visit to elevate China-Nepal relations to new height: Nepalese President

By Ding Zi, Wang Hui, Zhao Yipu, People’s Daily

“I believe that the visit of His Excellency Xi Jinping will elevate the existing bilateral relations to a new height,” said President Bidhya Devi Bhandari of Nepal prior to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to her country during an exclusive interview with People’s Daily in Nepal’s capital Katmandu.

“Attaching high importance to the visit of the Chinese President, we have been doing all necessary preparations accordingly”, Bhandari said. Calling Xi’s visit a historic opportunity for Nepal, she expects that the two countries can continue deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in each field.

The Nepalese President said that Nepal-China relations have remained smooth and cordial after the establishment of diplomatic ties.

She noted that Nepal has maintained its unwavering commitment to One China Policy, and the Government is committed to not allowing any activities targeted against China in its territory.

China has always respected Nepal’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, Bhandari noted, adding that the relations between the two countries have become multi-dimensional, expanding to economic, socio-cultural and people-to-people level.

Xi’s visit will further consolidate the mutual trust and understanding between the two countries in the days to come, and promote the development and prosperity of the region.

Bhandari extended her greetings to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, saying she’s happy to see China prosper.

She said that China has achieved huge progress in economy, education and health under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). China is the most populous country, and the well-being of its people is an important contribution made by the country to the world.

During the interview, the Nepalese President also mentioned the Beijing Daxing International Airport that has just started operation, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge opening to traffic the last year. Wishing China to be prosperous, she noted that China’s development has been an inspiration to all countries around the world and has inspired peace loving people for prosperity.

When talking about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Xi, Bhandari remarked that the increasing impact of BRI is being felt globally and has established a great platform for Nepal-China cooperation.

BRI has helped increase connectivity between different countries, and connectivity of such nature will also increase cultural and people-to-people relations and engagements, she added.

She believes that Nepal and its people will be benefitted by the Initiative, and proper implementation of BRI will benefit the whole neighborhood.

Bhandari said that China’s development is demonstrating to the world the global vision and farsightedness of the Chinese leaders. Under the leadership of the CPC, China has gone through drastic changes, and other communities around the world have also been benefitted from China’s unparalleled achievements, she told People’s Daily.