Kathmandu, April 24
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has left for a nine-day state visit to the People’s Republic of China on Wednesday.
Bhandari is the first Nepali President to embark on a state visit of the northern neighbour. She was invited to Beijing by her Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Chairperson of National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Ishwor Pokharel and Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa bade farewell to President Bhandari at the VVIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport.
During the course of her visit, President Bhandari will participate in the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation taking place in Beijing. Similarly, she is scheduled to address the Second Belt and Road Forum.
Delegation-level bilateral talks would be held between President Bhandari and her Chinese counterpart during the visit, which will be followed by a signing ceremony. The President also will hold separate meetings with senior Chinese leaders, according to the Foreign Ministry.
President Bhandari will visit Xi’an, the capital city of Shaanxi Province, on her way to Beijing. She will also visit Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region of China, on her way back home.
President Bhandari is accompanied by Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, State-3 Chief Minister Dormani Poudel, members of Federal Parliament, Nepali Ambassador to China, representatives from the private sector and the media. President Bhandari will return home on May 2.
