Yang is also the former Chinese Foreign Minister. [break]
Addressing a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, Ministry spokesperson Arjun Bahadur Thapa said that the Chinese State Councilor will be arriving Nepal on May 18, 2013.
In course of his visit the Chinese dignitary will meet separately with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Madhav Prasad Ghimire, said Thapa.
"Sharing detailed information on the State Councilor´s impending visit could be sensitive in terms of possible Tibetan activities in town," states an update of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was distributed to the media persons at the news conference.
As a good neighbour China always wishes for peace, political stability and economic prosperity in Nepal, and it is Beijing´s desire that anti-China activities do not take place in Nepal, Thapa said regarding the concerns the Chinese State Councilor might express during his talks with the highest officials of Nepal, including the President.
Spokesman Thapa also made it clear that there was no possibility of signing of the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) with China during Yang´s visit. He, however, added that inter-ministry consultations were going on to that regard.
State Councilor Yang, who is a step higher in rank from the Chinese Foreign Minister, is one of the five powerful persons formulating Chinese foreign policy. An experienced hand in Nepal affairs, he had come on a visit to Nepal last year accompanying then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Last year alone Yang had met separately with then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
In reply to a query, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thapa said that a letter has been sent to the Government of India for closing the Biratnagar-based liaison office under the Embassy of India. He further said that a request has been made for closing the liaison office as the rationale for its continuation has ended.
Responding to another question, Thapa indicated that the possibility of organizing the 18th SAARC summit in Nepal this year was waning. He added that Nepal needs at least nine months for its preparation.
He was of the view that the SAARC summit has become uncertain as the Inter-Ministerial Meeting, the body that decides on SAARC summit, was non-existant. Although the Maldives, the present Chair of the SAARC, has written to the member countries from time to time for holding the meeting of this body, it could not be held ´due to one of the members´.
Thapa said that probably the meeting of the Inter Ministerial body would be held in the first week of July in the Maldives.
On a separate topic, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the Government has asked for clarification from Ambassador of Nepal to Qatar, Maya Sharma, who gave a statement not consistent with the diplomatic dignity.
Ambassador Sharma had made a statement – Qatar is an open prison- some days back. The Embassy of Qatar here had written a letter of objection to the Government protesting the ambassador´s remarks.
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