KATHMANDU, JUNE 12 Following a visit to India from June 5 to 7, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal is set to embark on a China visit on Sunday. According to the MoFA, Minister Khanal is visiting the People's Republic of China from 14 to 17 June 2026 on an official visit at the cordial invitation of Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu also stated, 'At the invitation of the Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal will visit China from June 14 to 17.' 'The Minister will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing and discuss matters of mutual interest for further strengthening Nepal-China relations and advancing deeper cooperation,' reads the statement issued by the MoFA. 'The Minister will also meet with high-level dignitaries of the People's Republic of China.' During the visit, Minister Khanal will attend the Investment Conference being organised by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing to promote foreign investment in Nepal and interact with the Chinese business community. He will also attend the welcome reception to be hosted in his honour by the Embassy of Nepal and will meet the Nepali community. The minister Khanal will return to Kathmandu on 17 June 2026 as per the schedule. The government formed after the epochal election following Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9, 2025, is said to be working to balance both northern and southern neighbours. According to a foreign relations expert, the foreign minister's visit to China will most likely reinforce Kathmandu's balancing act between its two immediate neighbours. The move could be an attempt to show 'more importance to the neighbour' and to keep Beijing 'into confidence' after the India visit, said Dr Pramod Jaiswal, research director at the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE). 'The foreign policy of Nepal is focused on development and diplomacy,' he added, and said, 'China is playing an important role in the development of Nepal.' It could be an attempt to assure China that 'there is nothing for them to worry about' and that Nepal will adhere to the Chinese stances, he added. 'India and China are very powerful neighbours, and both have played a role in transforming the economy of Nepal. So, it is appropriate that he should visit both countries early,' said Jaiswal. He also suggested that the foreign minister should visit the United States as well, calling it an important partner in Nepal's wider diplomatic outreach. On the substance of talks with China, he stated that Nepal should focus on 'issues that can benefit Nepal economically' including connectivity, trade and foreign direct investment. 'These should be the top priority as they are more likely to support Nepal's development goals,' he added. 'Nepal's foreign policy objective is development policy. He should focus more on issues that can benefit Nepal economically, which can be connectivity, which can be trade, which can be FDI.'