Shi Yugang, deputy secretary of the standing committee of Yunnan provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, called on Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav on Saturday.

Shi, a leader of vice ministerial position, arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday for a three-day Nepal visit.

During the meeting held at the vice president’s office in Lainchaur, matters of bilateral relations between Nepal and China, diplomatic visits, mutual cooperation, trade and tourism, among others were discussed, according to the secretariat of Vice President Yadav.

The Vice President expressed his happiness that the centuries-old Nepal-China relations had grown in multiple dimensions, and had become closer in recent years.

Yadav also added that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s China visit, in September last year, had taken the relations between the two nations to a new height, and that he was assured of exploring new opportunities of cooperation.

Yadav also requested the Chinese side to help Nepal increase its production capacity of products having comparative advantages, and also support in the production of vegetables, meat items, tea and herbs to sustain and expand bilateral trade, said the secretariat.

He also expressed his belief that commercial flights between Pokhara and various Chinese cities would commence soon.

Shi, who is leading a delegation of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, said that they chose Nepal for their first foreign visit in 2024 as they attached high importance to the country.

“Nepal and China share many similarities. This is why high-level as well as public-level visits have become more frequent between the two nations of late,” Shi was quoted as saying. “We have prioritised people-to-people relationships. I am confident that our relationship will become stronger in the coming days.”