By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Dec. 9: State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi has put forward a three-pronged proposal to further bolster age old Nepal-China cooperation and relationship.

In his virtual address to the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction held on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign minister stressed that China will always be Nepal's friendly neighbor and development partner that supports each other and shares weal and woe.

"China is ready to join hands with Nepal to fight the pandemic, promote economic recovery, and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation to build a closer China-Nepal community with a shared future," said foreign minister Yi in this video speech entitled '.Supporting Each Other and Sharing Weal and Woe to Create a Better Future.'

The three-pronged proposal to enhance Nepal-China cooperation include giving continuity to advance cooperation against the pandemic, support post-earthquake recovery, and deepening Belt and Road cooperation.

"China will continue to help Nepal fight the pandemic and safeguard people's livelihood through vaccine assistance, material procurement, port connectivity and expert exchanges. In the near future, China will focus on providing vaccine assistance to Nepal. China is ready to expand cooperation with Nepal on vaccine research and development and public health to consolidate the achievements of bilateral, regional and international cooperation against the pandemic," said Yi, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said that China will implement its commitments to assisting Nepal one by one, advance post-disaster reconstruction projects, give full play to the role of the China-aid Earthquake Monitoring Network in Nepal, and enhance experience sharing and personnel training, to help Nepal enhance its capacity for disaster prevention and reduction. China supports Nepal's leading position in rebuilding international cooperation. All parties should respect Nepal's sovereignty, security and development needs and should not attach any political strings to assistance to Nepal.

On deepening Belt and Road cooperation, Foreign Minister Yi said China is ready to conclude implementation plans with Nepal at an early date and deepen cooperation on trade and investment, industrial parks, energy and power, infrastructure and climate change to create new engines for Nepal's economic recovery and medium- and long-term development. China will make solid progress in the feasibility study of a cross-border railway project, improve the Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, and help Nepal realize its dream of changing from a "land-locked country" to a "land-linked country".

The Chinese Foreign Minister expressed his belief that with the solidarity and cooperation of the Chinese and the Nepalese, Nepal will surely make new miracles in fighting the disaster and the pandemic, and make new achievements on the path of national reconstruction and rejuvenation.

He referred to the way, six years ago, Nepal was hit by a rare earthquake, which brought heavy losses to the local people and the way the Chinese government and people empathized with them and urgently delivered batches of supplies to Nepal, setting up "a lifeline across the Himalayas".

"This reflected the true friendship between China and Nepal. Six years later, the Nepalese have rebuilt their homes on the ruins and the "Country of the Mountains" has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Mountains and rivers can be moved, but spirits will never fall. We pay tribute to the Nepalese for their perseverance in the face of natural disasters and congratulate them on their achievements in post-disaster reconstruction. As a sincere friend of Nepal, China has always stood firmly with the Nepalese in the process of reconstruction, surmounting difficulties, fulfilling commitments and achieving positive results. During his historic visit to Nepal in 2019, President Xi Jinping announced an additional package of assistance to Nepal, set new goals for China-Nepal friendship and cooperation, and provided a stronger impetus for Nepal's reconstruction and development" he said.