Honorable Ministers,
His Excellency Mr. Wu Chuntai
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Nepal,
Distinguished Guests,
Friends from Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I feel honoured to be with you this evening for the diamond jubilee commemoration of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Nepal and the People’s Republic of China.
I convey to you all my warmest greetings and congratulations on this historic occasion.
Nepal and China are ancient nations with long civilizational contacts. Over the last sixty years of Diplomatic Relations, relations both at the Government and people’s levels have grown to our mutual satisfaction. Nepal and China have been working together in many regional and international forums and cooperate on a range of global issues.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence constitute the basic foundation of our relationship. Nepal has consistently maintained a ‘one- China policy’ and remains firmly committed to not allowing its territory to be used against its neighbours.
Distinguished guests
China has been a valued development partner and a reliable friend. We are grateful for the spontaneous, generous and prompt support from the Government and people of China in the wake of the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks. We are encouraged by China’s substantive pledge for reconstruction and rehabilitation. We deeply appreciate China’s continued goodwill, and support to our development endeavours.
Distinguished friends,
Both Nepal and China have undergone fundamental transformations in the last six decades. Political transformation in Nepal has been of historic proportions. Our main task has been to institutionalize democratic gains achieved over the years by promulgating an inclusive federal democratic constitution through the Constituent Assembly.
We have now reached a major milestone in this process. The people and the political parties of Nepal have shown their exemplary commitment to the nation and displayed a deep sense of national unity and reconciliation. This has enabled us to advance the process of constitution writing. The promulgation of the constitution will bring the protracted political transition to an end and pave the way for the institutionalization of peace, stability, and democracy and promotion of economic development in the country.
The scale and speed of China’s transformation remains a success story in human history. The policy of peaceful development pursued by China has significantly contributed to place it at the centre of global attention and play a proactive role in promoting global peace, security and prosperity.
We have a shared destiny in an interdependent and interconnected world. Underdevelopment anywhere is a serious challenge to peace, stability, and rule of law. The world has a compelling interest in addressing underdevelopment as it acts as nurseries of all evils including extremism and terrorism.
Distinguished guests,
We are happy to see both of our neighbours – China and India making tremendous progress in various fields. Their emergence as global powerhouses provides increased opportunities to countries in the neighbourhood and beyond. We welcome the growing relationship between them. Nepal’s proximity to them provides unprecedented opportunities to benefit from the prosperity of these two fastest growing economies and the most populous nations of the world.
Nepal enjoys excellent relations with both India and China. We welcome their neighbourhood policy that treats neighbours with dignity and takes them as partners for peace and prosperity. Nepal’s relations with its neighbours are of global significance, making peace, political stability, and economic development in Nepal to be of supreme importance for the region, and the world at large.
Distinguished guests,
An anniversary is a good moment to look back to look to the future with new vigour and substance.
I would like to conclude with a quote from a communiqué issued during the visit of BP Koirala to China in March 1960. I quote: ‘The continuous development of friendly cooperation between China and Nepal was not only in the interest of the peoples of the two countries, but also in the interest of the solidarity of Asian countries and world peace.’ Unquote. This spirit has stood the test of times and continues to grow irrespective of new circumstances unfolding in the region and the world at large.
Let us work together to realize the promise of Nepal-China relations.
I am fully confident that Nepal-China relations and comprehensive cooperation will gain further momentum for the interest of our two peoples and the world peace, stability, and prosperity in years to come.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, with these few words, may I now propose a toast:
- For the health and happiness of His Excellency the President and the Premier of the People’s Republic of China;
- For the ever-expanding and long lasting friendship between Nepal and the People’s Republic of China;
- For the continued peace, progress and development of the people of our two countries.
- Thank You.
Jai Nepal,
Long Live Nepal-China Friendship.
(Address by Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Sushil Koirala, at the Commemorative Reception organized on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and the People’s Republic of China, 01 August 2015, Kathmandu.)