CPC politburo member Yuan Jiajun in Nepal

Yuan Jiajun, politburo member of the Communist Party of China, arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday leading a 26-member delegation.

The Chinese leader was welcomed by Dev Gurung, general secretary of the CPN (Maoist Centre), and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song.

Yuan arrived in Kathmandu after completing his visit to Sri Lanka where he had met several Sri Lankan leaders, including former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Ahead of his visit, a CPC delegation arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday via a Sri Lankan Air flight in order to lay the ground for Yuan’s visit.

Yuan is visiting Nepal at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a CPN-UML leader said, adding that Yuan is considered to be the future leader of the CPC.

According to Chinese media reports, President Xi Jinping had in December last year inducted Yuan into the CPC’s 24-member politburo due to his strong background in science and technology and aerospace engineering. Yuan will be the senior-most CPC official visiting Kathmandu after the formation of the Pushpa Dahal-led government in December last year.

The CPC delegation will meet President Ramchandra Paudel, Foreign Minister NP Saud and senior leaders of various political parties. The Chinese leader is scheduled to meet the President at 3pm, according to the President’s Office.

Besides meeting party leaders, the Chinese delegation is likely to invite Nepal’s participation to the “Belt and Road (Chongqing) International Consumer Goods Expo” being co-hosted by the Supply and Marketing Cooperation Industry Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the China Cooperation Times. The event is scheduled to be held at the Chongqing International Expo Centre from September 22 to 24.