KATHMANDU - When Lila Mani Poudel, Nepal's Chief Secretary was based in China's Tibet for four years as a diplomat, he was a regular reader of China Daily, which provided him professional news and views about China and the world.

Poudel no more has to miss the largest?circulating?English?daily of China, as the newspaper's Nepal edition was launched in Kathmandu on Friday.

"I'm happy that I can now read the newspaper from my own home country, which I used to do routinely during my stay in Lhasa from 2003 to 2007," Poudel revealed during the official launch of China Daily Asia Weekly in collaboration with Himal Media of Nepal.

"You have tied up with a very professional media house of Nepal. I wish all the best to you all," Poudel said.

China Daily will be published every Friday as a weekly paper in Nepal, according to the publishers.

"We want to present China's Asian and global perspectives to Nepali readers. We are extremely happy to introduce China Daily among the Nepali people," Kunda Dixit, a publisher of Himal Media and editor of Nepali Times weekly told Xinhua.

Dixit said the Himalayas, that constitute border between Nepal and China, should be taken as the backbone of relationship between the two neighbors and not as the barrier.

"China Daily has been published in Nepal to serve the same purpose," Dixit said.Jointly unveiling the "China Daily Asia Weekly" with Nepal's Chief Secretary Poudel, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Wu Chuntai said he and the Chinese government is committed to promote bilateral ties and trade between Nepal and China.

"Media plays a crucial role to promote our relations. China Daily's publication in this regard is highly encouraging," Chuntai said.

Zhou Li, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific Ltd, Hong Kong, said that more than 20 countries have been publishing the China Daily regularly.

"We are grateful to all to announce that Nepal is the 21st country where we have started our publication," Li said.

Around the world, China Daily has collaborated with reputed professional publications. For instance in the USA, it has tied up with the New York Times while in Britain, its partner is the Telegraph.

At the sidelines of the launching ceremony today, a short symposium on Nepal-China Investment, Trade and Tourism was also held.

The symposium was addressed by Pend Wei, Commercial Counselor at the Embassy of China in Kathmandu and Radhesh Pant, the director of Nepal Investment Board, among others.