The visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Kamal Thapa, met with H. E. Mr. Tang Lianhzhi, Deputy Party Secretary and Mayor of Chengdu City of Sichuan Province today. Hon. Thapa recalled the opinion expressed by H. E. Mr. Wang Yi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in his meeting on 25 December 2015 in Beijing and underscored the need of ‘sharing the prosperity’ created by the high economic growth of Chengdu as Nepal ushers into the ‘new era of economic development’. The two leaders shared view that a number of areas of cooperation should be explored as Kathmandu and Chengdu are geographically closer, culturally similar, connected by regular flights and enjoy the virtue of being the major tourist destinations.
The Chengdu City Mayor also requested the Government of Nepal through Hon. Thapa that Chengdu would like to welcome Nepalese Consulate General at earliest date. Likewise the mayor expressed his willingness to establish Sister City relations with Kathmandu. The Mayor also underscored the need of a cooperation mechanism in order to further engage into economic cooperation between Kathmandu and Chengdu. Hon. Thapa assured the Mayor that he will deeply look into the requests and proposals put forward the by the Mayor.
Earlier, Hon. Thapa visited ‘Jiujian Environmental and Energy Company in Chengdu and observed an exemplary ‘waste management project’ that also contributes to the generation of power. The deputy Prime Minister also attended the dinner reception hosted by the Mayor of Chengdu in his honour this evening.
Hon. Thapa is accompanied by Hon. Agni Prasad Kharel, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Nepalese Ambassador to China, and other members of the delegation during the meeting and observation tour. While leaving Beijing for Chengdu this morning, the Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation was seen off at the Beijing Capital International Airport by Ambassador and other diplomats of the Embassy of Nepal as well as Senior Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.
Hon. Thapa scheduled to meet leaders of China’s Sichuan province tomorrow. The Deputy Prime Minister will leave Chengdu for Kathmandu on Tuesday via Lhasa where, during transit at the airport, he will meet leaders of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Embassy of Nepal
Beijing
27 December 2015