Dahal unlikely to sign any agreement during China visit
KATHMANDU, March 21: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is unlikely to sign any agreements with China during his week long visit starting from Thursday, said highly placed sources at his office.
Dahal is set to fly off to China via Guangzhou at 11 pm on Thursday to participate in the 2017 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia which is scheduled from March 23 to 26 in Boao, South China's Hainan Province.
Though there was high expectation of signing One Belt One Road, railway track construction among others the source said that no agreements signing is yet set during Prime Minister Dahal's upcoming China visit.
Dahal to meet Xi for 15 minutes
"There will be some verbal commitments but written agreement signing is unlikely due to time constraints and the visit is only formal one not the official or state visit," said the source.
Will meet Xi for 15 minutes
Dahal will attend the conference till March 25 and then will fly to Beijing on the same day. His meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has been fixed for March 26. "Prime Minister will meet Xi for 15 minutes." said the source, requesting not to be named.
Earlier, Dahal had informed Chinese side that he will not visit China if he couldn't meet Chinese President during the visit. After Dahal's stance, the Chinese side managed a brief meeting with Xi, said the sources.
Asked to Prime Minister Dahal's press adviser Govinda Acharya about the issue, he said that Foreign Affairs Ministry is managing all the details of the visit. "I am still not much updated about details so far," he said.
Dahal will also take part in a conference organized by Nepali and Chinese business community in Beijing, prolonging his stay in the Chinese capital to March 27.
Both Chinese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will not remain in the country during Dahal's week long visit. Both are set to visit New Zealand and Australia during that time.
Dahal will arrive Lhasa on 28 March and stay there for a night. He is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on March 29.
12-member team
According to the sources at his office the Prime Minister Dahal will be accompanied by other 11 member team during his China visit.
His spouse Sita, Foreign Minister Prakash Saran Mahat, a secretary at the office of prime minister, foreign secretary Shankar Bairagi, chief of protocol, China desk chief at the foreign ministry, his personal secretary, his press adviser Govinda Acharya, his personal doctor and a security officer will accompany Dahal during the visit.
