Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwor Pokhrel met with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in Beijing on Saturday and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on military cooperation between the two nations, according to which, China will provide an assistance of RMB 150 million to Nepal over a period of five years for the purpose of humanitarian and disaster relief equipment, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Further details will be disclosed over the coming months after discussions from both sides.
In the meeting, Pokhrel stressed the relations between Nepal and China and mentioned that the exchange of high-level visits between the two countries, including that of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in June 2018, have contributed in elevating bilateral relations to new heights by helping enhance trust and confidence at the highest political level.
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Pokharel further mentioned the importance of military co-operation in military training, hardware in humanitarian and disaster management, and medical equipment and peace-keeping operations, and requested for Chinese support in establishing Defence University in Nepal.
Likewise, Wei appreciated Nepal’s one-China policy and support on the Tibet issue, and of China’s willingness to further strengthening co-operation between the armies of the two countries. He also agreed to provide necessary support to Nepal as proposed by Pokhrel.
Pokhrel also met Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China Gen Xu Qiliang on Friday. Various matters pertaining to mutual interests, such as bilateral co-operation in military training, disaster management, provision of medical assistance and equipment, and peacekeeping, were discussed during the meeting.
