KATHMANDU, Oct 13: Concluding a two-day state visit to Nepal, Chinese President Xi Jinping returned home on Sunday afternoon.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari bade farewell to her Chinese counterpart Xi at the VVIP lounge, Tribhuvan International Airport. On the occasion, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli were among those top dignitaries present at the TIA.
Xi was given a guard of honor by a contingent of Nepal Army personnel minutes before his plane taking off.
Earlier today, Xi and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli witnessed the signing of the 17 bilateral cooperation deals between Nepal and China. Today morning, Xi and Oli held official delegation-level talks at Hotel Soaltee.
Xi's visit: an important milestone in the annals of bilateral t...
Before returning home, Xi held one-on-one meetings with the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Oli.
Prior to that, NCP's secretariat members including Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal held a separate meeting with President Xi at Hotel Soaltee.
Xi arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday evening. He was received by President Bhandari at the TIA. Xi was offered guard of honor by a contingent of the Nepal Army at TIA. Later in the evening, Xi held talks with President Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas.
He also held brief meetings with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Timilsina at Hotel Soaltee.
President Bhandari hosted a state banquet in honor of Chinese President Xi at Hotel Soaltee.
Xi announced during the state banquet to provide financial assistance of around Rs 56 billion to Nepal between 2020 to 2022.
During his address, Xi assured to help Nepal to transform itself from a ‘landlocked’ to a ‘land-linked’ country by developing Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network. President Xi also assured to further enhance connectivity between the two countries by opening up additional entry points.
“We will develop Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network and help Nepal to realize its dream to transform itself from landlocked country to land-linked country,” said Xi.
On the occasion, President Xi also announced to encourage as many Chinese tourists as possible to visit Nepal to help make Visit Nepal 2020 campaign a grand success. While stating that China has been actively supporting Nepal’s reconstruction works in the aftermath of the major earthquake that rocked Nepal in April 2015, President Xi also said that China is keen to ensure multi-dimensional cooperation with Nepal.
During the banquet, Nepali band performed a fusion of Chinese and Nepali songs at Soltee Hotel attended by around 300 people.
On Saturday, after Xi and his entourage drove from the TIA to Soltee Hotel, Soltimode, thousands of government staff, Chinese residents and some commoners carrying Nepal-China flags cheered and hailed Nepal-China friendship.
The government had left no stone unturned in ensuring a fitting welcome to one of the most powerful leaders in the world.
Authorities had erected welcome gates, put flex boards and billboards to welcome the visiting dignitaries hailing Nepal-China friendship in Nepali and Chinese languages.
The government had announced Sunday as a public holiday.
