Kathmandu, December 17

A senior leader of the Communist Party of China and head of the party’s propaganda department Liu Qibao is arriving in Kathmandu tomorrow on a three-day official visit to Nepal.

A politburo member of CPC, Liu is the most high-profile Chinese leader to visit Nepal in the last three years, officials said. He is leading a 25-member official delegation comprising senior government officials.

Though Liu currently doesn’t hold any specific government position, he holds the rank of a vice-premier and controls the CPC’s influential propaganda department.

The prime minister’s press adviser Govinda Acharya said the Chinese leader would also call on President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara will host a dinner reception in his honour. The Chinese leader will also meet high-ranking leaders across the political spectrum.

His visit is taken a prelude to possible high-level exchange of visits between Nepal and China in near future. A foreign ministry official told The Himalayan Times that his could be an appraisal tour for possible visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s to Nepal. Xi’s prospective visit to Nepal in mid-October couldn’t happen following a sudden change of guard in August.

“If the Chinese side is convinced that Nepal is committed to move forward all Sino-Nepal agreements and quite ready to welcome President Xi, the latter might pay a state-visit to Nepal in the first half of 2017,” a diplomatic source said.

During his visit, Liu would take stock of the ongoing political developments in Nepal and assess if the government is ready to welcome President Xi, the source added.

Prime Minister Dahal’s possible visit to China and implementation of bilateral agreements, including finalising the bilateral transit transport protocol are also among the topics to be discussed during his parleys with Nepali leaders.

He will also attend the China Festival and inaugurate Kathmandu Cultural Forum at Hotel Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu on Monday.

An understanding on cooperation between Chinese broadcasters and publications and their Nepali counterparts would also be signed during his visit. Besides, Liu is expected to encourage Nepal to be an active part of the One Belt, One Road initiative.