Cui Li, vice-president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), met with Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, on March 6. They discussed deepening people-to-people friendship within the SCO framework.

Noting that China and Nepal are good neighbors, friends and partners connected by mountains and rivers, Cui said the two countries have always upheld the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and treated each other with sincerity, mutual respect and support. She noted that the longstanding friendship between the two countries has been consistently strengthened, with people-to-people cooperation maintaining positive momentum and yielding fruitful outcomes.

The GNFCC is willing to work with the Nepalese side to take the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal as an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations and friendly cooperation in various fields, and promote more positive outcomes in people-to-people exchanges during China's rotating presidency of the SCO, in a bid to solidify public support for the development of China-Nepal relations, and deepen the mutual understanding within the SCO family, Cui noted.

Deuba extended warm welcome to Cui and her delegation. She said that Nepal's government highly values its relations with China, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative. She thanked China for its long-term support and assistance to her country, and lauded the SCO's significant role in international and regional affairs.

Nepal is ready to actively engage in‌ SCO activities, strengthen cooperation with non-official organizations including the GNFCC, and continuously deepen friendship and understanding among the people of SCO countries, Deuba noted.

China's Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song also attended the meeting.