KATHMANDU: Nepal has inaugurated its fifth diplomatic mission in China with the opening of its Consulate General Office in the southwestern city of Chengdu, as the two neighbouring countries stepped up their bilateral relations.
With the consulate office in the capital of Sichuan province, Nepal has now established the most number of diplomatic missions in China, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Apart from its embassy in Beijing, Nepal has offices of the consulate general in Lhasa, capital of Tibet, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province and in Hong Kong, the Special Administrative Region of China.
Ambassador of Nepal to China Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and Vice-governor of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government Li Yunze jointly inaugurated the Consulate General's plaque in Chengdu on Monday.
Pandey said trust, understanding and good neighbourliness were the key features of Nepal-China ties since ancient times and the two countries supported one another in peace, prosperity and development.
The establishment of the Consulate General in Chengdu would help promote all-round exchanges and bilateral cooperation as well as contribute to further enhancing the friendly relations between Nepal and China, he said.
Sichuan Vice Governor Li said the establishment of the Nepalese mission in Chengdu would facilitate the promotion of trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two neighbouring countries.
Nepal and China established diplomatic relations on August 1, 1955.
China opened its Embassy in Kathmandu in July 1960 and Nepal opened its Embassy in Beijing in September 1961.