Nepal Foreign Affairs (Kathmandu, Dec. 26)–Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa has said that Nepal maintains a special relationship with northern neighbor China.
Speaking in Beijing after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa said he had asked China to consider the long-term trade in petroleum products, Reuters reported. Thapa is in a six-day official visit to China.
This is the first time any Nepali top official termed Nepal-China relations as special one, experts told Nepal Foreign Affairs Online in Kathmandu. Earlier, Indian diplomats used to claim their country’s relation with Nepal was special one saying that they have an open border. 
“I’m very happy to note the government of China has instructed the concerned petroleum export authority to be in touch and discuss issues related with the long-term trade of petroleum products with Nepal,” he told reporters.
Wang, standing next to Thapa, said China was willing to look at ways with Nepal to help resolve its energy problems.
China reopened a border crossing with Nepal in October and said it was using it to send in the supplies.
“For Nepal, there is no need to play each other. We have our own type of relations with India. Similarly, we have our special relations with China. So, I think we are very happy with that and will continue in future with that, strengthening relations with both countries,” Thapa said.
Wang said Nepal could become a place for win-win cooperation between China and India, rather than “a sports field for competitive games”, the Reuters said in its report.