Stressing that Nepal has no disputes with China, King of Nepal Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev said yesterday bilateral relations would be pushed forward under the structure of a good-neighbourly partnership.
While meeting visiting Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji yesterday, the king said that establishing good relations for future generations had been jointly worked out by him and Chinese President Jiang Zemin during Jiang's visit to Nepal in 1996.
Zhu, on his first visit to Nepal, said it was a great pleasure to meet the king again.
"As Your Majesty said, there are no disputes between our two countries. The only task for us is to promote a better and quicker development of bilateral relations," Zhu told the king.
Zhu said he had had a fruitful talk with Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, achieving agreement on a range of issues of mutual concern.
Zhu expressed his appreciation of Nepal's achievements under the king's leadership, and said the kingdom has fully demonstrated the importance it attaches to its relations with China.
Zhu conveyed President Jiang Zemin's cordial greetings to King Birendra, and the king gave his best wishes to Jiang.
His majesty also expressed his thanks, on behalf of the Nepalese Government and the country's people, for the long-term support and assistance the Chinese Government and its people have given to his country.
He said Zhu's current visit would herald a new stage in the continued friendship between China and Nepal.
While meeting with Nepal's parliamentary leaders, Zhu said the two countries should strengthen exchanges between the two parliaments so as to promote closer contact between the two countries.
Zhu made the remarks yesterday while meeting speaker of the Pratinidhi Sabha (House of Representatives) Taranath Ranabhat and the chairman of the Rastriya Sabha (National Council) Mohammad Mohsin.
Zhu will leave Kathmandu this morning for male, capital of the Republic of Maldives, to continue his five-nation tour.
(China Daily 05/16/2001)
