KATHMANDU -- The first edition of the ECS Nepal magazine in Chinese language was launched here Thursday.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chutai unveiled the first edition of the quarterly magazine amid a function held at Hotel Annapurna on Thursday afternoon.

"China and Nepal are very good friends and neighbors. The feelings and spirit of the Chinese and Nepalese are similar," Wu said.

The ambassador expressed the hope that bilateral cooperation in various areas including tourism would be expanded.

"Both countries are going to celebrate 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2015. This magazine can help promote bilateral relations so that more Chinese people know about Nepal," the ambassador said.

Coordinator of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 and pioneer tourism entrepreneur of Nepal, Yogendra Shakya, said that China's aid to Nepal is important for the country to be uplifted from the current Least Developing Country (LDC) category to a developing country status by 2022.

The Chinese version of the ECS Nepal will be published four times a year by the ECS Media. ECS NEPAL is a popular culture and lifestyle magazine being published in English language.