Kathmandu, November 29
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has announced the official visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to China.
In a press statement issued today, the MoFA stated that Oli will pay an official visit to China from December 2 to 5 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
During his visit, he will have bilateral discussions with Premier Li and exchange views on issues of mutual interest.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by his spouse, Radhika Shakya.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing. Prime Minister Oli will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, and exchange views on matters of mutual interest. PM Oli will also hold a meeting with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address at Peking University. Oli will address the Nepal-China Business Forum, which is being jointly hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).
"The entourage of the Prime Minister will comprise Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister; Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Economic and Development Advisor to the Prime Minister; Members of Parliament; high-ranking government officials; representatives of the private sector; and media persons," reads the press statement.
Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, confirmed that Oli's official visit team will consist of 39 members, while 48 private sector representatives will also travel to China during the Prime Minister's visit.
He said that the Council of Ministers has also decided that the private sector would be travelling at their own expense.
The Prime Minister and his delegation will return to Kathmandu on 5 December 2024.
It is expected that a discussion of the blueprint for the implementation of the 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) would be signed during Prime Minister Oli's visit.
Meanwhile, Minister Pandey told the media after Thursday's cabinet meeting, which approved the Prime Minister's visit to China, that discussions about the agenda were still ongoing. "Various mechanisms and discussion bodies are in place to facilitate discussions. The agenda will be decided at another Cabinet meeting," he said.
Before leaving for China on Thursday, Foreign Minister Rana told mediapersons at Tribhuvan International Airport that there was no disagreement among the ruling parties on the BRI implementation agreement.
"The media created this difference of opinion," she stated. Regardless of how many leaders the party has, our team is discussing moving forward with this (BRI).
There is no such distinction of opinion."
When the media asked her, "Will there be an agreement on BRI implementation this time?" She responded, "Whenever there is a foreign policy issue between two countries, both sides must maintain their positions, and there are numerous discussions. Let us see what happens next."
