Prachanda to meet Xi on China visit

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will leave for China on Thursday to attend the Boao Asia Forum in China's Hainan province during which he will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday. Prachanda will travel to Beijing to meet Xi.

This is his first official visit to China after becoming the Prime Minister in August last year. "The Prime Minister will meet the Chinese President on March 27 (Monday) at the Great Hall of the People where both leaders will discuss matters of mutual interest," the Foreign Ministry said. The Chinese side has already communicated that the meeting between Xi and Prachanda will a brief one — no longer than 20 minutes — and Xi had cut short his other engagements to make time for it.

As Prachanda's visit to Nepal's northern neighbour will be keenly followed and watched in New Delhi, it is almost official that no accord or understanding will be signed during the visit,

announced Prachanda a day ahead of his China visit. "We are not going to sign any deal in this visit," said Prachanda at a CPN (Maoist Centre) Central Office meeting. "My visit will be to lay the ground for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal and the objective of my China visit is focused on bringing him to Nepal," he said.