Kathmandu. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China has made a significant contribution to further enhancing Nepal’s reputation in the international community.
Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said this after Prime Minister Oli returned home on Wednesday night after completing a five-day official visit to the People’s Republic of China. He informed about the high-level meetings held during the visit and the achievements of the visit. Prime Minister Oli had left for China on Bhadra 14, leading a delegation at the friendly invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Briefing media persons at the VIP lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport, Secretary Rai, who was with the visiting team, informed that bilateral meetings were held with the Chinese President and Vice President and meetings with heads of state and government of various other countries during the visit.
The main objective of Prime Minister Oli’s visit was to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China, to enhance Nepal’s participation in the organization and to promote Nepal’s national interests through it.
During his visit, Prime Minister Oli met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on Bhadra 14 and held open and cordial discussions on bilateral relations, cooperation and priorities, the ministry said.
Stating that Nepal-China relations based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are problem-free, Secretary Rai said that Prime Minister Oli thanked the Chinese government for its continuous support for Nepal’s development efforts.
Prime Minister Oli wished for the success of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and requested the Chinese President to support Nepal’s full membership in the organization.
Expressing hope for the early implementation of various projects, including those agreed upon under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Prime Minister Oli requested for cooperation in areas such as chemical fertilizers, petroleum exploration, human resource development, capacity building to cope with the effects of climate change, and strengthening people-to-people ties.
Objection to the Lipulekh agreement between India and China
Prime Minister Oli objected to the recent agreement between India and China on border trade through the Lipulekh border crossing in Nepal, and requested the Chinese President not to implement the agreement, according to the press note read out by Secretary Rai.
Chinese President Xi expressed China’s support in fulfilling the national aspiration of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepalis’. He also mentioned that China will cooperate with Nepal in multilateral forums including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The Chinese President expressed gratitude for Nepal’s firm commitment to the One-China principle and reiterated China’s continued support for Nepal’s development through the implementation of high-quality BRI projects agreed upon between the two countries.
Prime Minister Oli participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus Summit held in Tianjin on Bhadra 16. He addressed the summit attended by heads of state/government of 24 countries, including member states, observer states, dialogue partners and other guests of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Presenting his views on strengthening multilateralism, promoting regional cooperation and achieving sustainable development, Prime Minister Oli expressed the view that Nepal’s aspiration in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is not only to be a dialogue partner but also a full member. The ministry stated that he presented a roadmap that the future of rules-based multilateralism should be based on expanded contact networks, consultation and cooperation.
During the summit, Prime Minister Oli held separate meetings with heads of state and government of various countries. He said that during his meeting with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, both leaders discussed the issue of further strengthening Nepal-Russia relations and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, education and culture as well as air connectivity. Along with this, Prime Minister Oli has invited the President of the Russian Federation to visit Nepal.
Similarly, the press note mentions that Prime Minister Oli held separate meetings with the President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the President of the Republic of Maldives, the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and discussed various issues of bilateral mutual interest.
While in Tianjin, Prime Minister Oli visited the rice pocket area in Huiguan Village of Tianjin Municipality and learned about the historical development of Tianjin’s famous Xiaozhan Rice and how it was revived in the modern era. Similarly, he also visited the Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Museum.
After participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit held in Tianjin, Prime Minister Oli visited Beijing and held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Chang in Beijing on Bhadra 17 and discussed various issues of Nepal-China relations. Similarly, Prime Minister Oli participated in the 80th Victory Day and Special Military Parade organized by the Chinese government in Beijing on Bhadra 18.
The visiting delegation led by Prime Minister Oli included his wife Radhika Shakya, former Deputy Prime Minister and member of the House of Representatives Purna Bahadur Khadka, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Raghuji Pant, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey, Economic and Development Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, member of the House of Representatives Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amrit Bahadur Rai, Nepal’s Ambassador to China Dr Krishna Prasad Oli, and high-ranking officials of the Government of Nepal. (RSS)