KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Oli, who departs for Tianjin on Saturday morning at Xi’s invitation, will also meet several other heads of state and government attending the regional summit.
The talks with Xi and Putin are expected to center on strengthening Nepal’s ties with China and Russia, as well as expanding cooperation in areas such as trade, connectivity, and regional security.
Foreign policy analysts say the meetings signal Nepal’s bid to elevate its international profile and deepen engagement with major powers at a time of growing geopolitical competition in South Asia. Nepal currently holds dialogue partner status in the SCO but has expressed interest in upgrading to full membership.
In addition to his address to the SCO summit on September 1, Oli is also slated to meet leaders from Vietnam, Maldives, Laos, and Cambodia. He will travel to Beijing later in the visit for talks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and will attend commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japanese aggression.
This will be Oli’s second trip to China in less than a year, following an official visit last December during which Nepal and China signed eight agreements ranging from trade promotion to technical cooperation.
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