China pledges better ties

KATHMANDU, March 26: A senior official with the Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhou Yongkang, on Friday pledged to work with Nepal to advance the relations between the two neighboring countries, Xinhua reported.



Zhou, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remark here during a meeting with Nepal"s Defense Minister Bidya Devi Bhandari. [break]



Hailing the 55-year diplomatic ties between China and Nepal, Zhou, who is also secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee, said China would work with Nepal to push forward the bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership.



China supported Nepal"s efforts to safeguard its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respected Nepal"s choice of development path, he noted.



Zhou said China would increase exchanges and cooperation with Nepal, and continue to offer help.



China"s Tibet shares a 1,400-km-long border with Nepal. Zhou said China appreciated Nepal"s persistent adherence to the one-China policy and preventing anti-China forces from carrying out separatist activities in its territory.



Zhou hoped the two nations would strengthen coordination regarding the Tibet issue, and make joint efforts to safeguard security of the border area for the benefit of the two peoples.



Bhandari said that Nepal firmly adhered to the one-China policy, and would not tolerate any anti-China separatist activity in its territory.



Nepal was willing to work with China to safeguard peace and stability of the border area, she noted.



Meanwhile, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie pledged military cooperation with Nepal and Afghanistan on Thursday in a meeting with his counterpart from Nepal, according to Xinhua.



In meeting with Defense Minister Bidya Devi Bhandari in Beijing, Liang said China attached great importance to bilateral military relations and was willing to boost personnel exchanges and cooperation to contribute to the security and stability of the two countries and the region at large.



Bhandari said her country was grateful for the training services China provided to Nepal Army, hoping more help would come from China in the fields of information, hygiene and peacekeeping.

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