Former President Bhandari meets Chinese Leader Ji Bingxuan

May 31, Kathmandu: Former President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari, who is in China, held a meeting with Ji Bingxuan, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress and President of the Chinese Association for International Understanding, on Friday evening in Dunhuang of Gansu Province. The discussions focused on strengthening Nepal-China relations and advancing mutual cooperation.

During the meeting, former President Bhandari expressed gratitude for China’s unconditional support for Nepal’s development and the well-being of its people. She acknowledged that while the implementation of bilateral agreements had faced delays due to various reasons, both sides should now actively work to move them forward.

Former President Bhandari emphasised that fostering strong people-to-people ties could ensure stability in bilateral policies and relations despite occasional governmental instability in Nepal. Highlighting the shared cultural heritage, she noted that Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and China, home to many Buddhist followers, have multifaceted ties. She expressed confidence that multidimensional cooperation would promote Asian civilisation.

Ji Bingxuan reflected on the historic visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal during Bhandari’s presidency, stating that the agreements signed during that visit added a new dimension to Nepal-China relations. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Nepal’s government and people without any self-interest, aiming to elevate bilateral ties to new heights.

Ji also highlighted the potential of the Silk Road initiative to connect China and Nepal, as well as Northwest Asia to the Middle East. He stressed that a stable government and national unity are key to achieving prosperity and addressing challenges, while clarifying that the choice of a country’s system and government lies solely with its people.

The meeting was attended by members of the high-level Nepali delegation led by former President Bhandari, including CPN-UML Secretary Raghubir Mahaseth, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari, and other senior officials, alongside Chinese authorities.