PM Oli to begin first foreign visit to China from Monday: MFA Nepal

Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will embark on official visit to China from Monday, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday.

It will be the first visit to foreign nation since he came to power on July this year.

"Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is paying an official visit to the People's Republic of China from December 2-5 at the cordial invitation of Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by his spouse Radhika Shakya," the Foreign Ministry stated in a statement.

During his visit, Oli is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. It would be followed by a bilateral talk with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang and exchange views on matters of mutual interest.

Oli will also hold a meeting with Zhao Leji, Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, the foreign ministry announced.

Apart from formal engagements, the Nepali Prime Minister also will deliver a keynote address at Peking University. In addition, Prime Minister will address the Nepal-China Business Forum being jointly hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

"The entourage of the Prime Minister will comprise Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Chief Advisor to the

Prime Minister; Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Economic and Development Advisor to the Prime Minister; Members of the Parliament; high-ranking government officials; representatives of private sector; and media persons," the release stated.

Nepali Prime Minister and his delegation will return to Kathmandu on December 5.

The visit comes at a heel when debate about signing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) pact needs to be signed or not. The Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML government, led by Prime Minister Oli himself, have not been able to build trust over the issue.