Xi Jinping wraps up meet, leaves for China

KATHMANDU: President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, wraps up his two-day state visit to Nepal, a first in 23 years for a Chinese President, with an aim to boost bilateral ties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with his delegation, left for China today by an Air China aircraft, concluding his 20-hour visit, which has strengthened Sino-Nepal relations.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, along with other ministers were present at the airport to bid farewell to Xi Jinping.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and National Assembly chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina  at the airport to bid farewell to Xi Jinping. Photo Courtesy: PM KP Sharma Oli/ Twitter
President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and National Assembly chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina at the airport to bid farewell to Xi Jinping. Photo Courtesy: PM KP Sharma Oli/ Twitter

High-level delegation talks were held with multiple leaders during his two-day state visit where leaders of both the nations signed various Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) including trans-himalayan railway, infrastructure projects, technical university among others.

President Bhandari hosted a state banquet in honour of her Chinese counterpart including many high ranking officials at Megha Malhar Hall at Soaltee Crowne yesterday.

The final meeting which was held today with PM Oli focused on all aspects of Nepal-China relations, marking the end of President Xi’s programme in the capital.

The Chinese President also met with the president of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba, in which discussions were carried out to strengthen the age-old bilateral ties between Nepal and China.

Furthermore, a one-to-one meeting with the co-chair of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Pushpa Kamal Dahal was held in the morning.

In Chinese President Xi's two-day visit, Kathmandu turned into a fortress for two days bringing normal traffic in the capital to a halt.

Various places in the capital including Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Tinkune, Baneshwar, Babarmahal, Naxal, Tripureshwar, Bhadrakali, Kesharmahal, Durbarmarga, Sundhara, Nagpokhari, Hattisar, Kalimati, Soaltee Mode were decorated to welcome the Chinese dignitaries. Streets were transformed by placing flowerpots and street poles were adorned with portraits of Bhandari and Jinping.

It is expected that Xi Jinping's visit will further help promote Nepal’s mega campaign of Visit Nepal Year 2020.