Yang will be the first high-ranking Chinese government official to visit South Asia since the new leadership takeover in November last year. Yang´s to Kathmandu just before Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang´s visit to India indicates the importance Chinese government attaches to its relation with Nepal. [break]
Yang is scheduled to meet President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Chief of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi and other officials. During his meeting, Yang would seek Nepal´s commitment to one-China policy and other bilateral security issues.
UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had visited China last month and held a meeting with the new Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The hype the Chinese media created over Dahal´s visit was an indication that the new Chinese leadership attaches special importance to its relations with Nepal.
“The new Chinese leadership´s decision to send its first high-level delegation to Nepal in South Asia indicates the pride of place Nepal enjoys,” said UCPN (Maoist) Narayankaji Shrestha, who had twice met Yang in Beijing and Kathmandu while Yang was the Chinese foreign minister. Yang was the foreign minister of China from 2007 till March 16, 2013, under the premiership of Wen Jiabao.
Shrestha, who is also scheduled to visit China on May 21 immediately after Yang´s visit, will hold meetings with top Chinese leaders. Yang, who served as Chinese foreign minister for five in years, is known as an expert on China-US relations.
Yang had first visited Nepal in December 2008 after the peace process began. His second Nepal visit was with then Chinese premier Wen in January 2012. Yang´s upcoming visit follows UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Dahal´s visit to China last month.
According to an official at Chinese embassy in Kathmandu, Yang would assure that China would equally treat all the Nepali political parties and not only the Maoist leaders.
Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid reached Beijing on Thursday to discuss Chinese primer´s India visit starting May 20.
During their meeting with Dahal, the Chinese leadership had agreed on a tripartite agreement between Nepal, China and India to ensure political stability and economic development in Nepal.
During his India visit, Dahal had floated the same proposal sparking a huge debate in Delhi. Khurshid had rejected the possibility of such agreement. However, experts assume that the issue might feature during Chinese prime minister´s India visit.
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