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KATHMANDU, Oct. 12-- China and Nepal agreed on Saturday to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. The agreement was made and announced when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Nepali counterpart, Bidya Devi Bhandari. Xi said that he came to Nepal as scheduled after Bhandari warmly invited him for a visit this year when they met in Beijing in April. He also agreed that as what Bhandari has said there is only friendship and cooperation between China and Nepal. Xi said that he saw sincere smile on the faces of the Nepali people and felt the friendship from the deep of their heart toward the Chinese people, adding that he felt once again that the China-Nepal friendship enjoys broad consensus and solid foundation in Nepal. The two peoples have shared weal and woe, and set an example of friendly exchanges between neighboring countries, said Xi, adding that he hopes to carry forward the traditional friendship and take the bilateral relationship to a new and higher level via the visit. Xi called on the two sides to consolidate the political foundation of bilateral ties, and set the building of a community with a shared future as a long-term goal for the development of China-Nepal relations. The Chinese president appreciated Nepal's firm adherence to the one-China policy, saying that China will as always support Nepal in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. | 
