Honorable Minister of Finance, Mr. Barsha Man Pun,
Respectable Chairman of NCCCI, Dr. Rajesh Kazi Shrestha,
Members of NCCCI,
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
Good afternoon.

I am very glad to attend the 12th Annual General Meeting of NCCCI. On behalf of the Embassy of China in Nepal, I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to all of you on the inauguration of the event.

NCCCI has been working as one of the most dynamic business organizations serving both China and Nepal since its inception in 1999. NCCCI has made great efforts in solidifying friendship and promoting people to people exchanges between the two countries, particularly in the fields of trade and economic cooperation. Last year, NCCCI received a number of business delegations, senior government delegations, as well as some big companies from China, and had constructive talks with them. NCCCI devoted itself to trade facilitation and betterment of investment climate through organizing seminars and publishing on newspapers. With the help of NCCCI, some of you attended the trade fairs held in Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu among other cities and got export opportunities. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to NCCCI for its great efforts and contributions. Thank you for your hard work.

Last January, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Nepal. During the visit, he said that the Government of China encouraged the strong and reputed companies to make investments in Nepal, and also supported Tibetan Autonomous Region to use its particular strengths in more exchanges and cooperation with Nepal. I am confident that our cooperation will move forward quickly. The Embassy of China in Nepal is willing and ready to work with NCCCI and push forward the development of our economic relations. The Embassy will provide NCCCI with more opportunities to attend Chinese seminars and trade fairs, and will positively consider your suggestions and proposals on quarantine and customs related problems.

As per the Chinese official statistics for the year 2011, the total trade volume between Nepal and China stood at 1.2 billion US dollars, increased by 61%, and Nepal's export to China stood at 14 million US dollars, increased by 21%. For the purposes of expanding Nepal's export, the Government of China has given Nepal the duty-free treatment for 4810 commodities, and I request you to make the full use of the duty-free treatment. I am happy to know that some of your exports, such as copper, herbs, carpets, pashmina, wet-blue skins, wooden articles among others, are very popular in China. Their market potential can not be ignored, and I request you to maximize their export to China. I believe that with the development of Nepal's hydropower sectors, Nepal will enter a new era of industrial development, which features the export capability will be enhanced greatly.

The Government of China is providing Nepal with assistance and technology for constructing a dry port in Totapani. The dry port is believed to help ease the heavy traffic in Totapani. Moreover, we are working on Kilong port and hope the 2nd trade route through Kilong port will be put into use soon. I am happy to inform you that we will have a trade fair in Guangzhou in this April, a trade fair in Kunming in June, a trade fair in Chengdu in September, and I request you to attend the trade fairs to get more orders and sell more goods to China.

Lastly, I wish under your joint efforts, NCCCI will become more and more successful and prosperous in the future. Thank you.