President salutes Nepal, warns separatists
Xi says he hopes to raise relationship to even higher level through state visit
President Xi Jinping, making the first visit to neighboring Nepal by a Chinese president in 23 years, said on Sunday that China appreciates Nepal’s stance of upholding the one-China policy and other core interests. He also said that any attempt by separatists to split China will be in vain.
Xi made the remark during a meeting with Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Kathmandu.
Those who engage in separatist activities in any part of China will be smashed into pieces, Xi said, adding that external support for separatists will be seen by the Chinese people as delusional.
During the talks, Oli reaffirmed his country’s support of China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Noting that Nepal firmly backs the one-China principle, Oli said his country resolutely opposes any use of its territory to engage in antiChina separatist activity.
Xi called on the two countries to further connect their development strategies. China supports Nepal in developing its economy and improving its people’s livelihoods, Xi said. He also emphasized the importance of jointly building the Belt and Road, saying the two countries should speed up the process of boosting interconnectivity.
The two countries should take improving cross-border roads into consideration, initiate a feasibility study for building cross-border railways, gradually open more ports, increase direct flights and enhance cooperation in telecommunication, Xi said.
The two sides should also make more efforts to promote trade and investment and push forward the China-Nepal cross-border economic cooperation zone, Xi said, adding that China would like to help Nepal develop hydropower.
The two countries should enhance people-to-people exchanges and promote communication in such areas as education, tourism and local government, Xi said. China will continue to offer a helping hand for Nepal’s reconstruction after the devastating earthquake in 2015, he added.
Xi also stressed the importance of enhancing law-enforcement cooperation, fighting terrorists and crossborder crimes and jointly supporting multilateralism and free trade.
Oli congratulated Xi on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Noting that China has made remarkable progress in the past decades, he said China’s development represents an important opportunity for Nepal.
Xi’s visit was a historic moment for the development of Nepal-China relations, Oli said, adding that Nepal’s people were excited to host the Chinese president.
Noting that Nepal and China are real friends and partners, Oli said that the two countries have always respected and supported each other with no interference in the other’s domestic affairs.
After the talks, the two leaders jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents covering such areas as interconnectivity, trade, investment and border management.
Xi arrived back in Beijing on Sunday night, wrapping up his three-day South Asian trip, which also took him to India.
China and Nepal agreed on Saturday to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring everlasting friendship for development and prosperity.
The agreement was reached and announced when President Xi Jinping met with Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
Xi said he came to Nepal as scheduled after Bhandari warmly invited him when they met in Beijing in April. He agreed with her that there is only friendship and cooperation between China and Nepal.
The two peoples have shared well-being and difficulty and have set an example for friendly exchanges between neighboring countries, Xi said, adding that he hopes to carry the traditional friendship forward and take the bilateral relationship to a new and higher level through his visit.
Xi called on the two sides to consolidate the political foundation of their relations and set the building of a community with a shared future as a long-term goal for the development of China-Nepal ties.
Xi said he has appreciated Nepal’s firm adherence to the oneChina policy and that China, as always, will support Nepal in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The two sides should build a pattern of all-around cooperation, a trans-Himalayan connectivity network and expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, he said.
Noting that China just celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xi said that the country will continue to deepen reform and expand opening-up so as to advance high-quality development.
A stable, open and prosperous China will always be a development opportunity for Nepal and the rest of the world, he added.
Bhandari welcomed Xi’s state visit to Nepal, saying that the country is willing to learn from China’s successful experience of development.
The Nepali president said she believes that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, will realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, which will definitely bring benefits to Nepal and help promote regional peace, development and prosperity.
Noting that Xi is the first Chinese president to visit Nepal in 23 years, Bhandari said the two countries’ announcement of establishing a strategic partnership of cooperation will consolidate their traditional friendship, enrich their ties and usher in a new era for the Nepal-China relationship.
Nepal, she said, respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never allow any antiChina force to engage in antiChina activities in Nepal, adding that Nepal is willing to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and building of a transHimalayan connectivity network.
Bhandari hosted a welcoming banquet for Xi on Saturday evening at which the Chinese president said that his first visit to Kathmandu allows him to witness a country enjoying good governance and social harmony.
Xi called on the two countries to jointly build a new future for bilateral ties.
Bhandari said that Nepal and China always trust and respect each other and their friendship is unbreakable.
Besides, in a meeting with Nepal Communist Party Co-Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday, Xi said the CPC is willing to strengthen exchanges with the NPC.
He said the CPC would like to establish a regular exchange mechanism with the NPC to learn from each other’s experience in party building and governance, and to build a new form of party relationship featuring mutual respect and learning as well as seeking common ground while shelving differences.
Dahal said that Nepal hopes to establish long-term cooperation with the CPC to learn from its successful governance experience.
On Saturday, Xi also met with Nepali Congress Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Nepali National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina.