The long tradition of foreign diplomatic envoys presenting their credentials to the Nepali king has been broken as the newly appointed Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Zheng Xianglin, presented his credentials to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the PM's Office at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu Thursday.

During the ceremony, Zheng said, "I am greatly honored to have been appointed as ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Nepal. I will endeavor to contribute my share to furthering the friendship between China and Nepal."

Koirala told the Chinese ambassador that Nepal-China relations have a long history and that there is no problem in the friendly ties between the two peoples.

"I hope the young generation will continue the friendly ties between Nepal and China," he said.

The Nepali government earlier decided that the prime minister, not the king, will receive the credentials of foreign diplomatic envoys.

Zheng arrived in Kathmandu on April 10.    

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2007)