Chinese FM to discuss Xi's possible visit to Nepal

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi, who flew into Kathmandu from Islamabad, is likely to hold talks with the Nepali leadership about a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in October, officials said on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang has a hectic schedule of meetings lined up for Monday and Tuesday. He will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Wang will begin his official engagements on Monday by holding delegation-level talks with his Nepali counterpart Pradeep Gyawali, which will then be followed by three letters of exchange that were agreed upon during President Bhandari's visit to China in April.

"Our talks will focus on bilateral economic cooperation and how we can expedite pacts and agreements signed in the past," Gyawali told The Kathmandu Post.

"We will also discuss how we can implement projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in a time-bound manner."

In March 2017, Nepal and China had signed a bilateral pact under the BRI in Kathmandu.

Initially, Nepal had identified 36 projects under the BRI framework, but that number was later trimmed down to nine as per Chinese suggestions.

Among the nine projects, the establishment of the Madan Bhandari University in Chitlang, Makawanpur, will be given priority, according to sources at the Foreign Ministry.

Discussions will also be held on a proposal forwarded by the Education Ministry for Chinese volunteers to teach the Chinese language in Nepali schools.

Wang's meeting with other government officials and political leaders were likely to revolve around creating a positive environment for the Chinese President's visit to Nepal.

However, China is yet to confirm the visit. There has been no official word on it.

After Kathmandu, Wang, who is leading a 15-member delegation, will be flying to Pokhara and on to Muktinath for a scenic tour. He will return to Beijing on Tuesday.