KATHMANDU — Nepal and China pledged on March 27 to deepen their friendship and continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding their core interests.

While meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari said Nepal and China have enjoyed profound friendship and they are good neighbors and good friends.

Nepal is pleased to see that China has made great achievements in its development and Nepal has benefited a lot from China's development, the Nepali president said.

Nepal will, as always, stay committed to developing friendly relations with China and sticking to the one-China policy, Bhandari said.

Expressing gratitude for China's selfless assistance in Nepal's socioeconomic development, especially in the post-quake reconstruction and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhandari said Nepal is ready to work together with China to push forward the joint building of the Belt and Road.

For his part, Wang said China and Nepal are good friends and good partners, with friendship dating back over a thousand years. Both sides have been supporting and helping each other, becoming a model for equal treatment, mutual respect and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes.

The Chinese side cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Nepal, and will continue to support Nepal in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and national dignity, exploring a development path suited to its own interests, and pursuing independent domestic and foreign policies, Wang said.

China stands ready to work with the Nepali side to deepen bilateral friendship, and continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding their core interests, Wang said.

Bhandari said her country never approves the slanders by certain international forces against both China and the Communist Party of China, and it wishes and firmly believes that China's path and the China model will achieve greater success.

Wang said the Chinese side is happy to see that friendship with China has become a social consensus going beyond parties and different party factions in Nepal.

The Chinese side is willing to strengthen exchanges with Nepal's political parties and different party factions on state governance experience, and join hands to push forward the cause of promoting democracy and human rights for mankind, Wang said.