Nepalese, Chinese officials discuss bilateral cooperation

Officials from Nepal and China have held a high-level meeting to discuss existing bilateral ties and cooperation and deliberated on the ways to further expand and consolidate cooperation in various areas such as trade promotion, investment and connectivity.

Officials from Nepal and China have held a high-level meeting to discuss existing bilateral ties and cooperation and deliberated on the ways to further expand and consolidate cooperation in various areas such as trade promotion, investment and connectivity.

The 15th meeting of the Bilateral Diplomatic Consultation Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Nepal and China was held in Beijing on April 7.

The two sides discussed existing bilateral ties and cooperation and deliberated on the ways to further expand and consolidate partnership in various areas such as economic cooperation, trade promotion, investment, tourism and connectivity among others.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of various infrastructure development projects under China’s grant assistance as well as Chinese-contracted projects and agreed to expedite the implementation of the projects so as to complete them in time, according to a statement issued by Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu.

However, the statement did not mention Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which could not take off even six years after the two countries signed the agreement.

“During the high-level meeting Bharat Raj Paudyal, Foreign Secretary of Nepal, and Sun Weidong, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, led their respective delegations to the meeting,” the statement said.

“The meeting was held in an atmosphere of cordiality and friendship,” it said, adding the Vice-Minister of China “admired Nepal’s consistent adherence to ‘one-China’ policy and respect for the five principles of peaceful coexistence.”