In 2013, amid the profound and complex changes in Asia and in response to the expectations of Asian countries, President Xi Jinping put forth the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness to guide China’s neighbourhood diplomacy. Over the past decade, the country has actively implemented these important principles and comprehensively developed friendly and cooperative relations with neighbouring countries. The political mutual trust between China and its neighbours has been continuously enhanced, their integration of interests deepened and a bright road of good neighbourliness and win-win cooperation has been forged.

China interacts with “amity” and has brought development forces together. Developing friendly relations with neighbouring countries is a consistent interest of China’s neighbourhood diplomacy. For the past 10 years, China and its neighbours, including Nepal, have enhanced mutual understanding and friendship through frequent interactions and jointly built Asian homes through solidarity and mutual assistance.

In the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Nepal in 2015, the Chinese government and people rushed to help Nepal by conducting big rescue operations and supporting post-disaster reconstruction. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, China and Nepal have worked together to fight against the pandemic and overcome difficulties, vividly interpreting the spirit of a community of shared future. Recently, after a strong earthquake hit the Jajarkot and Rukum West districts, the Chinese government promptly organised and implemented emergency humanitarian aid valued at 15 million RMB to assist Nepal in earthquake relief.

We treat each other with “sincerity” and have taken our partnerships to new heights. For the past 10 years, China has fulfilled its commitments, treated everyone equally and established extensive partnerships with neighbouring countries. In 2019, President Xi made a historic state visit to Nepal and elevated our bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership of Cooperation Featuring Ever-lasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity. Not long ago, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal successfully made an official visit to China, and President Xi had a cordial meeting with him. They had an in-depth exchange of views on deepening the traditional friendship between China and Nepal, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, as well as international and regional issues of common concern, and reached broad consensus.

This year, Yuan Jiajun, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee, Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, and Wang Junzheng, Secretary of the Xizang Autonomous Region Party Committee have successively visited Nepal. The political parties, departments and local governments of the two countries have maintained frequent exchanges, and political mutual trust between the two countries continues to be strengthened.

China collaborates for “mutual benefit” and has promoted practical cooperation. The country has always cooperated with neighbouring countries based on the principle of mutual benefit. Since China and Nepal signed the MoU on bilateral cooperation under the framework of the BRI in 2017, the practical cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results. The Upper Marsyandi A Hydroelectric Project, Upper Tama-koshi Hydropower Project and Upper Trishuli 3A Hydroelectric Project, constructed by Chinese enterprises, have been put into operation, and the construction of Upper Trishuli-1 Hydroelectric Project and Sanjen Khola Hydel Project are steadily advancing.

The Nepal-China cross-border optical fibre link has started operation, the Chinese-built Pokhara International Airport has been inaugurated, and WeChat Pay has landed in Nepal. The first batch of transit cargo from the third country reached Nepal by utilising Chinese transit facilities under the Transit Protocol signed between Nepal and China. Nepal’s silage has been exported to China for the first time, and its total exports to China increased by 118.3 percent year-on-year from January to August this year.

We cooperate with “inclusiveness” and have enabled new developments in regional integration. For the past 10 years, China has promoted regional cooperation with a broad mind, practised true multilateralism, and built an open rather than exclusive circle of friends. China has cooperated with South Asian countries in various fields such as human resource training, poverty alleviation and disaster relief, economy and trade and cultural exchanges, and has established platforms such as the China-South Asia Expo, China-South Asia Cooperation Forum, and Conference on China-South Asia Development Cooperation.

The China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center has entered into substantive cooperation, and the first “Vibrant Village” demonstration project has been officially launched in Nepal. China is willing to actively implement Global Development Initiatives, complement each other’s advantages with South Asian countries in areas such as poverty reduction, modern agriculture, industrial upgrading and clean energy, and transform a collaborative industrial chain into a chain of shared prosperity.

In today’s Asia, peace and stability reflect the overwhelming trend, and development and prosperity represent the aspiration of the people. In the future, China will work with neighbouring countries to cherish good-neighbourly and friendly cooperation, jointly promote the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. It will enrich and expand the rich connotation of this important concept and jointly build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious Asian home.