Wang Yi Holds Talks with Nepali Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka

On August 10, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with the visiting Nepali Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

Wang Yi said, China and Nepal, linked by mountains and rivers, have enjoyed ever-lasting friendship. No matter how the international and regional situations changed, China and Nepal have always firmly supported each other on issues involving core interests and always stood shoulder to shoulder in the face of tests and challenges. It's China's consistent proposition that all countries, big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, are equal. China will continue to firmly support Nepal's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, explore a development path in line with its national conditions, improve Nepali people's lives, and revitalize the nation. China is ready to work with Nepal to implement the fruitful results of President Xi Jinping's historic visit to Nepal, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, carry forward the ever-lasting friendship, and open up new prospects for the development of bilateral relations.

Khadka said that Nepal and China enjoy time-honored friendship and are true tested friends. The two sides have always treated each other as equals and respected each other, setting a good example of friendship, mutual benefit and win-win results between large and small countries. Nepal admires China's development achievements that captured the attention of the world, and thanks China for supporting Nepal in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and helping Nepal speed up post-earthquake reconstruction and post-pandemic recovery. Nepal is ready to work with China to follow through on the outcomes of President Xi Jinping's historic visit to Nepal, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and constantly push for new progress in the Nepal-China strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship.

Khadka reiterated that Nepal firmly pursues the one-China principle and will never allow any activities that use Nepal's territory to oppose China and undermine China's interests. Nepal will unswervingly honor this commitment. Nepal supports China's legitimate position on Xizang, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and other internal affairs. Nepal always maintains that the UN Charter should be upheld and no country has the right to impose its own will on others. Nepal adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, especially the basic norms such as respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, and will continue to stand firm together with China to safeguard and act on multilateralism. Nepal endorses the visions of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and is trying to find a way to participate in and seek synergy with the two initiatives.

Wang Yi said, China appreciates that successive governments of Nepal adhere to the one-China principle and honoring their commitment not to allow any forces to use Nepal's territory for anti-China activities. He   appreciates Foreign Minister Khadka's reaffirmation of this policy. Facing the current turbulent situation in the world, China and Nepal, as developing countries and friendly neighbors, should all the more support each other, jointly safeguard the United Nations' role as the core, and safeguard non-interference in internal affairs, which is a "golden rule" of international relations.

The two sides conducted in-depth communication on bilateral relations and practical cooperation, and reached a broad common ground.

The two sides will maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen party-to-party exchanges, and deepen exchanges of experience and mutual learning on party governance and state administration.

The two sides will negotiate and conclude an implementation plan for Belt and Road cooperation as soon as possible, and will convene a meeting of the Joint Commission on Economy and Trade and a meeting of the Working Group on Facilitating Trade within this year. China welcomes Nepal's efforts to export more tea, medical herbs and farm and pasture products to China, and encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Nepal, so as to help the country develop manufacturing and modern agriculture and enhance its capacity for self-driven development.

The two sides will speed up the Kathmandu Ring Road Improvement Project (Phase II) at a faster pace and advance electric power interconnection projects. The two sides will strengthen the Electric Power Cooperation Plan and build the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network.

The two sides will continue to deepen cooperation on disaster prevention and mitigation. Khadka thanked China for lending a helping hand at the critical moment when Nepal fell short of fuel aftermath the earthquake. Wang Yi said that China will provide Nepal with disaster prevention and medical supplies through China-South Asia Emergency Supplies Reserve.

The two sides will strengthen cooperation on pandemic response and medical care, promote the construction and operation of the China-Nepal Chinese Medicine Center, and support enterprises of the two countries in carrying out cooperation in planting Chinese medical herbs. China will provide blood cancer treatment equipment and technology for public hospitals in Nepal and continue to offer vaccine assistance.

The two sides will strengthen cooperation on justice, combating cross-border cybercrimes, border management, joint prevention and control, and ports, among others.

The two sides will deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and increase direct flights to facilitate personnel exchanges. China welcomes Nepali students to return to China to continue their studies.

Wang Yi announced that China will use aid funds for Nepal to support the feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway, and will send experts to Nepal to conduct the survey work within this year. Noting that the zero-tariff treatment granted by China to 98 percent of Nepali products will come into effect on September 1, Wang Yi said that China supports Nepal in making good use of this policy dividend to expand its export to China.