Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal to visit China following India trip: Report

Kathmandu: Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Shishir Khanal, is scheduled to visit China next week after concluding his trip to India, local media reported on Monday.

Quoting sources, local media portal Onlinekhabar reported that Khanal will depart for Beijing on June 14. Official meetings are scheduled for June 15 and 16.

During the visit, he is expected to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.

Khanal will also interact with members of the Nepali diaspora during the visit. He is scheduled to return on June 17.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet officially announced the dates and agenda of Khanal’s visit to the northern neighbour.

Sandwiched between its two giant neighbours, India and China, Nepal seeks to maintain balanced relations with both. Prime Minister Balendra Shah has repeatedly stated that his government will adhere to the longstanding principles of Nepal’s foreign policy.

In the annual budget for fiscal year 2026–27, the Nepali government stated that it would strengthen balanced foreign relations based on mutual benefit, national dignity, and sovereign interests while mobilising soft power to promote economic prosperity.

“We will strengthen balanced foreign relations based on mutual benefit, national dignity, and sovereign interests while mobilising soft power for economic prosperity,” the budget document states.

“At a time when China is concerned about how the new government will approach China-related issues, Foreign Minister Khanal’s visit will be important for Beijing to understand the new government’s position on China’s core interests,” former Nepali ambassador to China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha told IANS.

“Tibet and Taiwan are two of China’s core security interests, and China will work with any government in Nepal that upholds the One-China policy,” he said.

Shrestha added that China would also like to see faster implementation of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as little progress has been made on identified BRI projects in Nepal.

“For Nepal, Chinese support in the areas of the three Cs—connectivity, communication, and climate—is important,” he said.

Earlier, in its draft of the National Commitment Paper circulated for national political consensus, the government stated that it would pursue a policy of maintaining “equal distance and equal proximity” with all countries, based on the belief that military alliances, arms races, and wars undermine global peace.

In practice, Nepal maintains a multifaceted relationship with India due to shared geography, culture, and religion, as both countries have Hindu-majority populations.

Nepal will also pursue a “balanced and dynamic diplomacy” aimed at transforming the evolving global geopolitical environment into opportunities for development, while placing the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests at the forefront. The government has pledged to advance national interests through trilateral economic partnerships and regional connectivity while firmly establishing Nepal on the global stage as an independent, neutral, and non-aligned nation.

Khanal concluded a three-day visit to India on Sunday, his first bilateral visit as foreign minister. During the visit, Nepal and India reached agreements on several issues, including cross-border digital payment systems.

–IANS