On March 2, 2001, Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council, and Vice-President Hu Jintao met with visiting Nepalese King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev on separate occasions. The two sides had warm and friendly talks.

Li, Zhu and Hu all spoke highly of China-Nepal traditional friendship and good-neighborly and friendly relations of cooperation, and expressed appreciation for the Nepalese government's adherence to the One-China policy and its support of China on such issues as human rights, Tibet and Taiwan over the years. Li said that China will always be a good friend, good neighbor and good partner of Nepal's. China's National People's Congress is ready to develop exchanges with the Nepalese parliament. Zhu said that although China and Nepal are different in many respects, the two countries have maintained healthy and stable growth in their friendly relations and cooperation, which serves as a model of friendly coexistence among big and small nations and countries with different social systems. China is ready to explore new ways of cooperation in transportation, contracting projects and trade together with Nepal. China is also willing to continue to provide necessary assistance within its capacity to Nepal's economic construction. Hu said that equal treatment, friendship and trust, mutual support and good-faith cooperation have become the basic characteristics of China-Nepalese friendly relations. China is committed, together with Nepal, to making further efforts to establish and develop good-neighborly and friendly partnership for further generations.

King Birendra spoke highly of the friendly cooperation between Nepal and China in international and regional affairs. He emphasized that Nepal has consistently adhered to a friendly China policy. He thanked the Chinese Government and people for their long-term sympathy and support of Nepal and positively assessed China's important role in maintaining world stability and peace and promoting economic development in the international arena. He said that the purpose of his visit is to consolidate and enhance friendship with China and to expand and deepen economic cooperation between the two countries in the new century. The Nepalese entrepreneurs accompanying him have already conducted wide exchanges and contacts with their Chinese counterparts. The King said that a very important aspect of developing Nepal-China friendly cooperation is to further strengthen economic exchanges and contacts between Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The Nepalese Government and people are ready to contribute their share in this regard.

The king also wished the upcoming 4th session of the 9th NPC a great success.