Nepal opens consulate general in Guangzhou

The Consulate General of Nepal in Guangzhou officially opened on Sunday.

Nepal and China cherish a long history of a close and cordial relationship, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Krishna Bahadur Mahara.

"We consider that the Belt and Road Initiative promoted by President Xi (Jinping) can benefit countries like Nepal for upgrading infrastructure and improving connectivity among the participating countries and bring in lots of economic opportunities across the border," he said.

"We also want to work together with China in trade and commerce. Over 60 percent of our trade with China originates in Guangdong. The opening of the consulate general reflects the increased level of economic and commercial engagements and deepening people-to-people relations between Nepal and Guangdong province," he said.

China and Nepal are enjoying frequent high-level exchanges, deepening political trust and economic cooperation and encouraging more people-to-people exchanges, said He Ying, deputy director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

In May this year, the two governments signed an MOU on the Belt and Road Initiative, and the two countries are facing new momentum of practical cooperation in various fields under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"China wishes to work with Nepal, to align our development strategies, to expand win-win cooperation and to build a community with a shared future," He said.

Nepal's consulate general in Guangzhou is the second on the Chinese mainland, after the first one established in Lhasa, with its consular district including the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Direct investment from China into Nepal has reached $351.32 million, channeled into sectors including farming, construction, energy, information technology, manufacturing, mining, tourism and services. Total foreign direct investment into Nepal has come to $2.16 billion, said Ravi Bhattarai, consul general of Nepal in Guangzhou, at an investment promotion conference on Sunday.

Trade between the two countries accounts for about 13 percent of Nepal's total foreign trade.

The two countries have close social, political and economic relations. With similar culture, religion and language at border areas, the business environment stands at congenial.

Air and land transport connections between the two countries have been improving, Bhattarai said, adding Nepal enjoys cost competitiveness.

Nepal is encouraging foreign investment into several fields, including hydropower, aviation, transport infrastructure, special economic zones, petroleum pipelines, mining, financial services, power transmission lines, tourism, agriculture, dry ports, smart cities, manufacturing, health and education.

Nepal Airlines has applied for a permit for operating flights in Kathmandu-Guangzhou sector.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn