A ceremony of book donation to Kathmandu University by the General Administration of Press and Publication of China was held at Kathmandu Thursday.

Speakers at the ceremony expressed the view that the tremendous goodwill existed between the people of Nepal and China for centuries would be harnessed further through activities such as book donation program.

Addressing the program, Wang Guoqing, director general of the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China expressed the view that similar activities would embody the all round development and enhancement of the traditional friendly relationship and the exchanges in cultural and educational areas between the two countries.

She said "For this book donation, we have elaborately selected 1,042 copies of 672 titles on Chinese history, culture and text books for learning Chinese and for promoting Nepali people learning Chinese language and showing them the unique charm of Chinese traditional culture and contemporary China."

In contemporary world, globalization and informationization are progressing and it is important to have exchanges and dialogues between civilizations and cultures for keeping friendly association between people and maintaining harmonious relationship, she added.

Also speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University Prof. Suresh Raj Sharma shed light on the importance of the books donated by China for the intelligentsia and students to know more about the closest neighbors.

He expressed confidence that the Confucius Center being established at Kathmandu University would be an important milestone for fostering mutual relations between the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2007)