Nepal, Nov. 11 -- The first trip one of us undertook to Kathmandu was two months ago, for the Nepal Economic Forum.

The forum showed the diversity of thought, richness of culture, and resilience of national character that defined the Nepali people. Some of the interlocutors that this country of 30 million cannot be reduced to its capital region.

A 30,000 strong Nepali diaspora resides and works in Hong Kong, many in the hospitality and service sectors. Their professionalism, congeniality, and linguistic dexterity render them a much-needed component of the city's workforce.

Such a relationship between our two economies is by not incidental: it is historically rooted in the legacy of the British rule in Hong Kong and the presence of Gur...