Thousands of Nepali nationals have come to China to study since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1955. And these students have played a significant role in strengthening ties between the two nations.

Nepali students in China have been an important bridge to strengthen ties between the two countries. (Photos: CGTN)

23-year-old Priyanka Shakya is doing her master's degree in Donghua University in Shanghai. She has been in China for five years now.

Priyanka studied Chinese for one year before she began her bachelor's degree in China. That wasn't easy for her in the beginning.

"I had to study all day and all night. It was very, very difficult for me to catch up. But here I am, doing my master's," she recalled.

And her hard work has paid off. She is now studying textile, one of the top majors at the school.

"Textile in Nepal is a little traditional, and maybe there are resources that are not been used to make a little high-technology, modern textile. So I would also like to go and research about textile in Nepal, and see if I can have some business or interaction between China and Nepal," she said.

Priyanka Shakya's knowledge about textile and language skills got her a chance to volunteer at the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai in 2018.

Her background and language skills got her a chance to volunteer at the first China International Import Expo last year. She said it was an exciting and gratifying experience to be part of a platform that connected China with her home country.

"The expo is like China wants to know what other countries have, including small countries that really need to increase their economy and need help from the big countries like China. Nepal is a developing country. We need the platform to exhibit what we have, so that more and more investors, more and more customers for our companies in Nepal to increase our economy," she said.

And she hopes to return to the expo as an exhibitor and brings her products or her father's products in the future.

Priyanka is one of the thousands of young Nepalese who've come to study in China over the past few decades. With their experience, not only do they gain knowledge, but also they become important bridges for stronger ties and exchanges between the two countries.