KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Kathmandu on a three-day visit on Sunday evening.

State Minister for Health Surendra Kumar Chaudhary and Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi welcomed the high-powered Chinese delegation led by Wang at Tribhuvan International Airport. Nepali Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi were among those present at the TIA to receive Wang.

Wang will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the visit.

Wang and his Nepali counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will hold delegation-level bilateral talks on Monday, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides will also sign bilateral deals on development cooperation on the sidelines of the meeting between Gyawali and Wang. Gyawali will also host a dinner in honour of the visiting Chinese delegation.

During Wang's visit, the two sides will discuss the possible bilateral agreements between the two countries under the framework of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during Chinese President Xi's visit to Nepal, the source said.

Apart from official meetings, the Chinese foreign minister is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Nepal Communist Party Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday.

Diplomatic sources told Republica Online that Wang's visit will pave way for the Chinese President Xi's prospective visit to Nepal.

Chinese President Xi is paying a five-day state visit to India beginning from October 11.

President Xi is likely to make a stopover in Kathmandu on October 15 during his return to China after concluding his India visit. "Wang's visit will pave the way for Xi's visit," an official privy to this development told Republica Online.

This is the first visit by a senior Chinese official after the formation of Oli-led administration in February 2018.  

Earlier today, Wang flew to Kathmandu after attending three-day Pakistan-Afghanistan-China trilateral meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

 
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