Nepal Foreign Minister to Visit China Next Week for High-Level Talks

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is preparing for a significant visit to China next week, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties. The trip, scheduled to begin on June 14, comes immediately after Khanal's recent engagement in India. During his stay in Beijing, Khanal is slated to hold formal meetings on June 15 and 16 with prominent Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party. These high-level discussions are anticipated to delve into various aspects of the Nepal-China relationship. A key point of discussion may involve the Lipulekh area, a territory that Nepal asserts as its own, and which was also a point of discussion during Khanal's recent visit to India. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to release an official agenda, with spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Kshetri noting that preparations for the China trip were secondary to the India visit's immediate focus. He assured that a formal announcement would be made once details are finalized and confirmed with Chinese counterparts. Khanal's visit also includes an opportunity to engage with the Nepali diaspora in China before his scheduled return on June 17.

“

We are in contact with our Chinese counterparts. We will issue a formal announcement as soon as there is anything new.