KATHMANDU: President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, is arriving in Kathmandu today afternoon for his two-day state visit to Nepal.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Xi will land in Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at around 4:30 pm and will be welcomed by President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

FILE PHOTO - Chinese President Xi Jinping sits with Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (not pictured) after arriving for a four-day state visit at London's Heathrow Airport, on October 19, 2015. Photo: Reuters

A chain of government officials in their specific dress code will greet Chinese President Xi at Baneshwar-Mandala road section while a chain of sportspersons, coaches and other dignitaries will welcome him at Thapathali-Tahachal road section.

President Xi along with his delegation will stay in Soaltee Crowne Plaza located at Tahachal in the capital city during their two-day visit. Soaltee Crowne Plaza has been fully booked for two days.

Similarly, Xi will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari at 6:30 pm today at Shital Niwas following which he is scheduled to meet with the president of the main opposition party (Nepali Congress), Sher Bahadur Deuba, at 7:15 pm.

President Bhandari will host a state banquet in honour of her Chinese counterpart and visiting dignitaries at Megha Malhar Hall inside Soaltee Crowne Plaza at 7:30 pm. The banquet marks the end of President Xi's programme for today.

On Sunday, October 13, President Xi will hold a meeting with the co-chair of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Pushpa Kamal Dahal, at 10:30 am. He will then hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Oli at around 11:15 am.

Different agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed after the talks. The visit is considered to be highly significant and historic to further harmonise Sino-Nepal relations.

More than 15,000 security personnel have been deployed to provide security to the Chinese head-of-state. Chinese security personnel are also set to provide security to their president during the visit.

The airport will remain closed from 2:55 pm to 5:25 pm on Saturday and from 11:20 am to 3:50 pm on Sunday.

Land routes that will be used by President Xi will remain closed for the public. The public will have to use alternate routes. It is likely that traffic will remain affected throughout on both days.

President Xi will leave for China at 1:00 pm on Sunday.