Beijing, June 8
Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is set to visit China next week, following the conclusion of his India trip.
According to sources, Khanal will depart for China on June 14. Formal meetings are scheduled for June 15 and 16, during which he is expected to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party.
Khanal will also interact with the Nepali diaspora during the visit and is scheduled to return on June 17.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to officially announce the dates and agenda of the visit. Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Kshetri told OnlineKhabar that the focus on the India visit had left little room to discuss preparations for the China trip.
“We are in contact with our Chinese counterparts. We will issue a formal announcement as soon as there is anything new,” he said.
Khanal had departed for India on June 5 and returned to Kathmandu on June 7. During his stay in India, he met his counterpart S. Jaishankar, Vijay Chauthaiwale, head of the BJP’s foreign affairs department, and others.
Notably, Khanal had clearly reiterated Nepal’s position on the issue of India and China opening a trade route through the Lipulekh area, which Nepal considers its own territory. That issue is expected to come up during the China visit as well.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs source says discussions on various dimensions of the bilateral relationship between the two countries are also on the agenda.
