Prez Xi praises Nepal PM Oli’s commitment to promote relations with China, vows to deepen strategic ties

Beijing/Kathmandu: President Xi Jinping on Tuesday lauded visiting Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s commitment to promote China-Nepal relations and pledged to advance strategic ties with Kathmandu as both sides inked nine agreements.

Oli arrived in Beijing on Monday on a four-day visit to China, his first official visit to that country after assuming office for the fourth time.

Xi met Oli and expressed appreciation for the Nepalese leader’s firm commitment to promoting friendship between the two sides over a long period, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

He also pledged efforts to advance the strategic partnership of cooperation with Nepal where Beijing has scaled up its investments in the last decade, expanding its influence in the landlocked country located between India and China.

Xi said China and Nepal, linked by the same mountains and rivers, are good neighbours, good friends and good partners, and bilateral relations have maintained sound and steady development.

Noting that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Xi said China places Nepal in an important position in its

neighbourhood diplomacy and is willing to work with Nepal to consolidate traditional friendship and push for new progress in advancing the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and

prosperity.