Narayan Prasad Dahal, Chairperson of Nepal’s National Assembly, held a bilateral meeting with Tian Xuejun, Vice-Chairperson of the Education, Science, Culture, and Health Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, in Geneva on Tuesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly.

The discussions centred on enhancing Nepal-China bilateral relations, parliamentary cooperation, and collaboration on international platforms, according to Chair Dahal’s secretariat.

During the meeting, Chairperson Dahal recalled the historic ties between Nepal and China, stating, “Nepal has always valued its relationship with China as a good neighbour, with strong political as well as social and cultural connections.” He also highlighted the visit of the former Chairman of the Chinese National People’s Congress to Nepal in 2022, which strengthened parliamentary collaboration between the two countries.

Dahal expressed his appreciation for China’s continued support for Nepal’s development and shared his optimism for future cooperation. “We believe that China’s support will play a vital role as Nepal aims to graduate from least developed country status by 2026, making this transition sustainable and irreversible,” Dahal said lauding China's continuous support for Nepal’s development.

Chairperson Dahal also reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to the “One China” policy and highlighted the countries' ongoing cooperation on regional and multilateral platforms.

In response, Vice-Chairperson Tian expressed China’s willingness to expand collaboration between the parliaments of both nations through parliamentary friendship groups and exchange visits. He remarked, “Strengthening parliamentary ties and exchanges will help us better understand each other’s practices and further solidify our relationship.”

Tian also underscored China’s readiness to support Nepal’s infrastructure development through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), stating that China would assist Nepal in road, railway, and other key infrastructure projects.

The meeting was attended by members of both delegations, further underscoring the commitment to parliamentary cooperation and mutual support.