Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will pay an official visit to China from September 23 to 30 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

During his visit, the prime minister will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, she added.

In response to a question on how China views its relations with Nepal at a regular press briefing, Mao said Prime Minister Prachanda has visited China multiple times, making important contributions to promoting the development of bilateral relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with the prime minister during his visit, and the two leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on deepening traditional friendship, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as international and regional issues of common concern, she said.

China and Nepal are traditional friendly neighbors and strategic partners, Mao said, adding that bilateral relations have maintained sound and stable development since diplomatic relations were established 68 years ago.

The two countries uphold mutual support and trust on issues concerning each other's core interests, setting an example of equal treatment and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes, she said.

Over the years, China and Nepal have held frequent high-level exchanges, she said, noting that exchanges and cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and culture have further developed, and both sides have maintained close coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs.

"Taking this visit as an opportunity, China is willing to work with Nepal to deepen strategic mutual trust, expand practical cooperation and jointly construct the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality to promote China-Nepal strategic cooperative partnership to new heights," said Mao.

(Cover: File photo of Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. /CFP)