An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles: Interview with Li Debiao, Former Chinese Ambassador to Nepal

International Online News (Reporter Zhu Mei):

He was one of the first cadres of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. He left his footprints in Europe, Africa and Asia and is remembered by the Nepali people as the Chinese ambassador was a close friend of King Birendra. He is a wise man with a unique vision. He is still working hard for the friendship between China and Nepal at an old age. He is Li Debiao, a former Chinese ambassador to Nepal and a senior diplomat. Today, let's listen to the Nepali sentiments of this diplomat who grew up with the Republic.

In 1949, the founding of New China was imminent, and all things were to be rebuilt.Due to the needs of diplomatic work, Li Debiao became the first batch of young diplomats in New China. He has been sent to work in the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, Africa and other places for many years, and has accumulated rich experience in diplomatic work. In 1987, Li Debiao was appointed as the Chinese ambassador to Nepal.

No enemies, only friends

Although shouldering an important diplomatic mission, Ambassador Li said with a smile that he was quite afraid to go to Nepal at the time:

"When I went to Nepal, I should say that I was afraid to go to Nepal. I was told that the country was too poor and the conditions were too poor. A young comrade from the Ministry of Culture told me that his girlfriend heard that If he wanted to go there, I will cut off relations with him. I told him I was afraid." A young comrade from the Ministry of Culture told me that his girlfriend will cut him off if he was going there. I told him I was afraid."

Of course, this is just a joke. Ambassador Li sincerely said that when he arrived in Nepal, he fell in love with such a sincere country. "After I went to this country, I did fall in love with this country. Their people are so nice and simple. Among all the countries I have been to, their (Nepali people) feelings for us and our feelings for them are very genuine. Therefore, in the past four years, I have established a deep friendship with Nepal. "

He said that among the countries he has worked in, he has the deepest affection for Nepal.

Because "there are no enemies, only friends". "I worked abroad for 26 years. Nepal is probably the poorest country. However, the country I have the most affection for is Nepal. The reason is very simple; Nepal is very friendly to China. Relations between the two countries have always been friendly and of all-weather. So working there was very comfortable. Officials in Nepal, especially King Birendra, were very nice to me. Officials from different factions were also very friendly to us Chinese ambassador(s).

So during the four years of working in Nepal, I had no enemies, only friends! Moreover, the friends were very welcoming and close! So I miss this experience so much. "

Shabu-Shabu Diplomacy, Smart Diplomacy

In the view of Ambassador Li Debiao, every experience in Nepal is unforgettable. To this day, recalling the situation in which he presented his credentials to the king seems to be vivid in his mind. The profound friendship established with King Birendra after that was also fresh in Ambassador Li's memory. He recalled an interesting "dinner" with the king. It was the first time the king made an exception to a banquet at a foreign embassy. Ambassador Li carefully prepared a traditional Chinese food - "Shabu-shabu".

"Invited him (the king) to eat mutton with Chinese taste. He was very happy. The king chose an auspicious day to bring the Queen to our embassy. I served them shabu-shabu and Maotai. The king ate with much gusto. He told me that he had a cold before he came to the embassy and is now was completely fine. The queen was also very interesting. She wanted to taste every one of more than 20 kinds of seasonings. I asked her which she liked best, and she said Chinese fermented bean curd is the best. "

King Birendra had a good impression on the Chinese ambassador who is full of diplomatic wisdom. It even caused ambassadors from other countries to privately say, half complaining and half envy, that King Birendra was "unfair".

In Ambassador Li's view, diplomacy is a very sacred profession, and diplomats have a very important sense of mission. They should think about how to "push up" the friendly relationship between the two countries.

An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles

Due to the deep relationship with Nepal, even after leaving office and returning to China, Li Debiao still cares about the place he loves. "Among the 16 Chinese ambassadors to Nepal, I am the first and only one who has been able to maintain close relations with Nepal in the past 20 years," Ambassador Li said proudly. "I came back in 1991. It's been 23 years, and I still miss it after leaving Nepal. Because of mutual affection, I go to Nepal twice a year. I have been to Nepal 42 times now. Among the 16 Chinese ambassadors to Nepal, I am the first and only one who has been able to maintain such a close relationship with Nepal in the past 20 years. ".

Although he is in his old age, Ambassador Li has also served as the president of the Nepal-China International Buddhist Culture Foundation and the Chinese-side president of the Nepal-China Economic and Trade Association. He said that no matter in the past or now, he is doing work to promote the development of Nepal and the friendly exchanges between China and Nepal.

"My focus now is on a Buddhist projects. I went to Nepal often after I left office. When I contacted their leaders, I told them that Nepal has two treasures. One is Mount Qomolangma in the Himalayas, and the southern peak of Nepal is a treasure. The other is Lumbini, the birthplace of Sakyamuni Buddha. This is the holy place of Buddhism. We should build a world center of Buddhism. Buddhists all over the world should know that Buddha was born in Nepal. If this center is built, it will be a project that will change the face of Nepal for Nepal. "

In Ambassador Li's view, Buddhism, one of the three major religions in the world, should have its own sacred place. Lumbini is the perfect choice for this holy place. This is a great thing not only for Buddhists, but also for Nepal.

Ambassador Li made a mental account and took China as an example. There are a large number of Buddhists in China. If one out of 100 people go to Nepal to worship, and each person spends 1,000 yuan, it is a huge income. And this is not mere tourism, these Buddhists will travel to Nepal many times. This will promote the settlement of the domestic employment problem in Nepal.

"This will enable Nepal's development to take off by leaps and bounds," Ambassador Li said happily. "This project will be an important page and a graceful stroke in the history of Buddhism. It will also be an important part of promoting China-Nepal friendship. We are not for profit. We want to give the buildings on the ground to the Nepali people and the Nepali government. As a friendly cause done by the Chinese people for the Nepali people. "

After the interview, Ambassador Li took out photos he had collected and looked through them one by one. The autumn afternoon sun shines through the window lattice on those pictures full of history, and the old man's eyes are full of memories.

There are people like Ambassador Li who love China and Nepal and work hard for the development of the two countries. The friendship between China and Nepal will surely continue to develop!

The link to the original article can be found here.

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