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Interaction On Nepal-China Contemporary Dialogue
A dialogue programme entitled "Nepal-China
Contemporary Dialogue" was organised jointly by the
Institute of Foreign Aff airs (IFA) and China Study Centre-
Nepal at The Hotel Malla, Lainchaur on July 6, 2007.
Hon'ble Minister for Foreign Aff airs, Mrs. Sahana
Pradhan was the Chief Guest at the dialogue programme,
while Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Mr. Zheng Xianglin,
Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs (MoFA), Mr.
Gyan Chandra Acharya and visiting Vice-President of the
China Institute of Contemporary International Relations
(CICIR), Mr. Li Shaoxian were the Guest of Honour.
Addressing the dialogue programme, Minister Madame
Pradhan commended the People's Republic of China for
the continued Chinese support to Nepal's diff erent priority
sectors like economic, social, cultural and technical along
with the development of physical infrastructure. She
expressed her hope that the railway service, which has
connected Lhasa with the mainland China, would be helpful
in enhancing economic and socio-cultural ties between
Nepal and China.
She was of the opinion that economic and cultural ties had
been the basic bonds of bilateral relations between the two
neighbours since time immemorial.
She said that Nepal would be able to share the benefi t of
the rapid economic, social and technological progress
made by China. She also hoped that the train service would
be extended to Kathmandu in future.
She said that China was a dynamic world power, who
had good economic infl uence worldwide. She, however,
conceded the fact that Nepal being an immediate neighbour
of China had not been able to reap the benefi t to a desired
extent.
Recalling the past, she said that China, who had become a
republican state in 1949, had come a long way in economic,
political and cultural spheres.
She said that Nepal, who also became a democratic country
in 1951, had to learn much from China in regards to socioeconomic
development.
Prior to her address, she launched a news bulletin published
by IFA.
Speaking at the dialogue programme, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal,
Mr. Zheng Xianglin appreciated the roles played and eff orts made
by both Nepal and China to further strengthen the existing bilateral
relationship.
He said the two sides would explore additional possible avenues of
cooperation in the near future, too.
He said that he was very happy to see Nepal's political process going
towards positive direction. He also appreciated the announcement of
the date for the election to the Constituent Assembly.
Further highlighting the ongoing peace process in Nepal, the Chinese
envoy said that Nepal entered into an era of political stability that
would help establish lasting peace in the country.
Shedding light on the bilateral ties between the two countries, he
said that China would make every possible eff ort to take the age-old
China-Nepal ties to a new height.
Citing the longstanding friendship between the two countries, he
said that the people-to-people contact had helped in expanding the
relations in the fi eld of culture, tourism and education.
He suggested that the Governments of China and Nepal and other
concerned parties should come up with strategic plan, off er genuine
encouragement and develop and promote mutually benefi cial
activities in order to achieve the desired goals.
He said that the personal exchanges between the two countries
needed to be increased.
Stating that some Chinese cities were connected to Nepal by air, he
said that there was only one land connection via Khasa. He said that
China had enlisted Sybhrunbensi-Rasuwagadhi road as well as Khasa-
Kathmandu Optical Fiber Project as our assistance to Nepal.
He also disclosed the fact that the construction of the road would
be started within this year (2007), which would enable a convenient
connectivity between the two countries. The ambassador also said that
in order to enhance the exchanges in trade, culture and personal areas,
Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China would organize a trade fare
in Kathmandu in the coming autumn. Emphasizing the importance of
the fare, Mr. Xianglin said that the fare would be attended by hundreds
of Chinese from the cultural area and economic circles which would
further upscale the cooperation between the two countries.
He further said that China and Nepal had been good friends and
partners since immemorial past.
He emphasised the need for enhancing understanding, friendship and
mutual cooperation from both the sides and continuing high level
dialogue in political, cultural and economic areas. Before concluding
his remarks, the ambassador said he was confi dent that interactions of
such nature would lead China-Nepal relationship to a newer height.
Delivering his address, Mr. Gyan Chandra Acharya, Secretary at
MoFA, said that Nepal attached great importance to her relationship
with China and the two neighbours had excellent relationship.
Mr. Acharya said that the Nepal-China bilateral ties remained free from
problems.
"China and Nepal have very wide range of relationship. It is not
concentrated only on political level," he said.
Lauding China for her immense progress in the area of economic
development, he said the northern neighbour was a strong global
force of political stability and economic prosperity.
"We are also looking at China with a lot of expectations. Many countries
in the region as well as beyond the region are looking forward to a most
fruitful interaction with China so that the benefi ts they achieve through
the relationship would grow along with the overall growth of China,"
he said.
He assured the visiting Chinese delegation that Nepal would do her
best to enhance the people-to-people, institution-to-institution and
academician-to-academician relationship that would keep fi rm basis
of strengthening the bilateral ties.
He said that Nepal was looking at diversifying her relationship with
China at economic, cultural and social levels.
"When we talk about the benefi t that we get from the overall growth of
China, we look at new areas of cooperation such as transit," he said.
He also hoped that the visit of that nature would help strengthen
bilateral relationship and widen cooperation with China.
Initiating the dialogue earlier, Vice-President of CICIR and leader of
the visiting high-level Chinese delegation, Mr. Li Shaoxian said
that Nepal was one of the important neighbours of China. "The two
countries have enjoyed a long history of mutual ties on culture, religion
and ethnicity," he said.
He said that Nepal had always occupied a very high position in China's
foreign policy.
Focussing on China-Nepal ties, he said his country believed that the
bilateral ties were very important for mutual benefi t sharing.
Making his observation on Nepal's current peace process, he said that
the country was moving forward in a right direction. "Thus, the political
stability of Nepal and the peaceful political process is to the benefi t of
China. We sincerely hope that our neighbour Nepal will have political
stability and economic prosperity in future," he added.
He said China always wanted peace and economic prosperity in Nepal
for which China was wiling to explore every avenue.
Highlighting his institute, he said CICIR was one of the important thinktanks
of China.
Recalling his fruitful meeting with Hon'ble Prime Minister Girija Prasad
Koirala and former Premier Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba, he said he would
meet other political fi gures as well.
He informed that CICIR and China Study Centre-Nepal
(CSC-N) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU),
which was just a beginning. As per the MoU, there would be
regular exchange of visits between the two countries.
"We would like to enhance our knowledge in Nepal in
a comprehensive way by taking this opportunity and
tranquility," he said.
He expressed his fi rm belief that his delegation's visit would
play a conducive role in enhancing and promoting bilateral
relations between the two neighbours.
Finally, he wished a great success of Nepal's ongoing
political process and looked forward to further enhancing
the bilateral relations in the days to come.
Welcoming the Chief Guest, Guests of Honour and other
participants earlier, Prof. Dr. Gopal Pokharel, Executive
Director of IFA and chairman of the programme, said that
the Nepal-China ties were not confi ned to the government
level alone but it was also being strengthened between
party-to-party and gradually being expanded to people-topeople
level.
Prof. Pokharel said that China was fast gearing towards
becoming one of the world's largest economic giants in the
21st century.
He suggested that Nepal should chalk out comparative
advantage strategy in order to reap economic benefi ts from
either exporting Nepal's products to China or attracting
Chinese investment and tourists to Nepal or both.
He said that Nepal and China could work together in the
areas of tourism, trade, transport, cultural exchange and
water resources and derive benefi ts immensely making the
relationship more meaningful, result-oriented and mutually
benefi cial.
He said that Nepal's relationship with China was now
becoming wider and comprehensive ever than before.
Praising China for her adhering to the principles of
"Panchasheela", respecting fully the sovereignty, territorial
and national independence and integrity while cooperating
by all means of socio-economic transformation of the
Nepalese society.
He said China had been extremely helpful and remained
Nepal's most trusted friend in the latter's development
endevours over the past 50 years.
Highlighting IFA as a semi-autonomous body designed to
cater to professional training needs of the Nepalese foreign
service offi cials and personnel, he said that the institute was
conceived under the new setup as a 'think-tank' on foreign
policy issues.
He said that preserving the documents of historic
importance as well as dissemination of information on
issues related to foreign policy was major responsibility of
the institute.
At the end of the dialogue programme, Minister Madame
Pradhan presented a souvenir as a token of aff ection,
appreciation and honour to Mr. Li Shaoxian, Vice-President of
CICIR. The souvenir was a miniature of the Swayambhunath
Stupa.
Similarly, Acting Secretary at MoFA, Mr. Acharya presented
Nepali caps to Chinese envoy Mr. Zheng Xianglin and Vice-
President of CICIR and leader of the Chinese delegation Mr.
Li Shaoxian. Prof. Pokharel, Executive Director of IFA, off ered
Nepali caps as a token of love to rest of the members of the
visiting high-level Chinese delegation. Prof. Pokharel also
presented the logo of IFA to Mr. Li.
Delivering a vote of thanks, Dr. Upendra Gautam, Secretary
General of Nepal China Study Centre-Nepal, said that his
organisation was happy to collaborate with IFA.
Talking about the fi rst delegation of CICIR, which was in
Nepal at the invitation of
CSC-N, Dr. Gautam said that CICIR, which was established
in 1980 under the State Council of the People's Republic of
China, was an important think-tank of high international
relevance.
He also narrated that the institutional arrangement of CICIR
was very much close with the current function and structure
of strategic security resources.
He informed that CICIR had come up with signifi cant global
review of strategic security resources in 2005-2006.
Emphasising the importance of the Chinese delegation
to Nepal, he thanked the leadership of CICIR for planning
this visit to Nepal on a priority basis. He was of the opinion
that the delegation's direct dialogue and interactions at
the leadership, policy and research level and observation
of national socio-cultural and economic scenes in Nepal
would contribute to uplift or upscale Nepal-China
integration through cooperation in the strategic resources
areas such as culture, transport, communication and energy
and consolidate China's inter-generational policies of
anti-foreign invasion and interference towards Nepal.
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