Nepal confirms visit of Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi

At the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Narayan Khadka, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s   Republic of China  Wang Yi is visiting Nepal from 25 to 27 March 2022, the governtment confirmed today.

During the visit, Yi will pay courtesy calls on the President and the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal. Minister Khadka and State Councilor Yi will also hold bilateral talks, leading their respective delegations on 26 March 2022.

State Councilor Yi will also meet with former Prime Minister and Chairman of CPN-UML K P Sharma Oli, and former Prime Minister and Chairman of CPN-Maoist Centre  Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda’ as per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yi’s visit has been observed meaningful in the political diaspora as the government has recently ratified the US government backed Millennium Challenge Corporation despite China’s best effort to make Nepal reject the grant.

Chinese team has also asked the Nepali Foreign Ministry through diplomatic means to make environment for Yi’s  visit in Nepal.

Nepal is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding for conducting the feasibility study for the proposed Kerung-Kathmandu railway project during Yi's visitt to Nepal.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in line with Yi’s visit has expedited consultations to set the agenda.

Government secretaries have suggested that Nepal should expediting past agreements signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Nepal visit in 2019, with primary focus on signing a memorandum of understanding for conducting the feasibility study for the proposed Kerung-Kathmandu railway project.

Currently, Nepal is awaiting additioan agrant from China besides the amount promised earlier, to carry out the feasibility study.

During Xi’s visit in 2019, Nepal and China had agreed to carry out a feasibility study of Kerung -Kathmandu rail project, as one of the key nine agreeemnts China pleaded to help. The multi-billion dollar railway project through Chinese funding however could never be started due to the Covid pandemic.

Meanwhile, CPN UML's vice chair Bishnu Paudel with other leaders have gone to China for political meet.