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Kathmandu Monday February 26, 2001 Falgun 15, 2057.
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Their Majesties leave for China today
KATHMANDU, Feb 25 (RSS) -Their Majesties the King and Queen are leaving on a
week-long state visit to the People’s Republic of China tomorrow, February 26, at the
invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Nepal-China relations have been marked by exchange of visits at the highest
level ever since the establishment of diplomatic ties in l955.
This will be Their Majesties’ third state visit to the People’s
Republic of China.
Their Majesties first paid a state visit to our northern neighbour in
December l973 at the invitation of Acting Chairman Tung Pi-wu and Premier Chou En-lai, not
long after His Majesty’s accession to the throne.
The next state visit was in September l993 at the friendly invitation of
President Jiang Zemin.
It may be recalled that the first state visit paid to China by a head of
state of Nepal was by His Late Majesty King Mahendra in 1961.
Apart from the state visits, Their Majesties also paid an official visit to
China in September l987 at the friendly invitation of President Li Xian-nian and Madam Lin
Jia Mei, and a goodwill visit in June l976.
Their Majesties also paid a week-long visit to China in August of l996 at the
friendly invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Their Majesties paid a private visit to China in May l978 en route to Japan,
and another private visit there in August l979 when Their Majesties were en route to the
Sixth Non-aligned Summit Conference in Havana.
His Majesty also visited China in l966 when His Majesty was the then Crown
Prince. Visits to China paid by other Nepalese leaders include those by prime minister
Tanka Prasad Acharya, prime minister BP Koirala, prime minister Kirtinidhi Bista, Prime
Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, prime minister Man Mohan Adhikari and prime minister Sher
Bahadur Deuba.
Similarly, visits paid to Nepal from the Chinese side include those paid by
Premier Chou En-lai, Deng Xiaoping, President Li Xiannian, Premier Zhao Ziyang, Premier Li
Peng, Chairman Li Ruihuan and the state visit paid by President Jiang Zemin as recently as
l996.
As His Majesty the King observed at the end of Their Majesties’ second
state visit to China in l993, its objective was to consolidate good relations subsisting
between the two countries, and it was an opportunity to review friendship between two
friendly countries.
The highlights of the state visit starting tomorrow will be the meetings His
Majesty the King will have with President Jiang Zemin. Top Chinese leaders including
Premier Zhu Rongji, Vice President Hu Jintao and Chairman Li Peng of the Standing
Committee of the National People’s Congress will have separate audiences with His
Majesty.
His Majesty will also attend the Boao Forum for Asia inaugural ceremony at
Boao, Hainan province as a guest of honour.
Relations between Nepal and China have been based on panchasheel and Nepal
has been a consistent supporter of Beijing’s one China policy regarding Taiwan.
China has played a key role in Nepal’s economic development, including
through the construction of infrastructure such as highways and factories, and through the
opportunities made available for training Nepalese doctors and engineers at Chinese
institutes of higher learning.
The state visit starting tomorrow takes on added importance in view of the
changing times characterized by the emergence of China as an economic power house as well
as change in the Tibet autonomous region foreshadowed by the proposed improved transport
link between Lhasa and Shanghai.
China’s wish to enter the World Trade Organisation and Nepal’s own
aspirations towards WTO membership give the two neighbouring countries something still
more in common.
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