Nepal PM to visit China next week

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will pay a fiveday visit to China next week, the two sides announce on Wednesday, with projects under the Belt and Road Initiative expected to figure prominently on his agenda.

Oli will visit China at the invitation of his counterpart Li Keqiang, during June 19-24, said a statement from Nepal’s foreign ministry. This is his second visit abroad, after a visit to India in April, since he assumed office in February.

During a visit to China in 2016, Oli had signed the Transit and Transport Agreement that is expected to end India’s long standing monopoly on Nepal’s trade with third countries.

Officials said on Wednesday that apart from signing a protocol to the Transit and Transport Agreement, several other pacts and MoUs are expected to be signed during the upcoming trip. They include agreements on connectivity, bringing the Chinese railway network to Kathmandu, cross-border power transmission lines, tourism, opening more border points with China, use of the Tibetan highway, and construction of petroleum reservoirs.

According to the statement, Oli is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with his Chinese counterpart and meet President Xi Jinping. He will also meet senior Chinese leaders.

Oli will address the NepalChina Business Forum and think tanks in Beijing. He will also visit Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.