Kathmandu, Aug 31: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Nepal’s bid for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). He put forward the proposal during a bilateral meeting with Xi in Beijing on Saturday, held on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

According to the Nepali Embassy in Beijing, Xi responded positively, stating that China is ready to cooperate with Nepal in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and the SCO. He added that China would continue to back Nepal’s development efforts and help in its pursuit of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.”

Xi said the Nepal–China friendship has deepened under the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” and expressed readiness to support Nepal’s aspirations for growth.

During the meeting, Oli urged for speedy implementation of already agreed projects, including those under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Xi thanked Nepal for its firm adherence to the “One China Policy” and reiterated China’s commitment to implementing BRI projects in Nepal without delay.

Oli also sought China’s support in areas such as fertilizer supply, petroleum exploration, human resource development, climate resilience, and expansion of people-to-people ties.

The embassy statement said both leaders discussed several aspects of Nepal–China relations and pledged to advance mutually beneficial cooperation in the future. Oli thanked China for its continuous support and wished success for the SCO summit.

He also raised Nepal’s strong objection to the recent India–China agreement on using Lipulekh as a trade route, stating the territory belongs to Nepal and that his government has formally lodged its protest.

Later in the day, Oli and his delegation reached Tianjin, where they were received by senior Chinese officials. He will meet leaders from different countries during the SCO summit and attend a welcome banquet and cultural program hosted by President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan on Sunday.

People's News Monitoring Service