China's National People's Congress chairman Li Zhanshu to visit Nepal

Li Zhanshu, the head of China's legislature and the third-ranked leader in the country's political hierarchy, will visit Kathmandu next week during which he will hold talks with Nepal's top leadership.

Li, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress - the country's parliament, is visiting Nepal on September 12 at the invitation of Speaker of the House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry.

During his visit, Li will hold delegation-level talks with Sapkota, who will also host a banquet in honour of the Chinese leader as well as the members of his delegation in the evening, it added.

During his stay in Nepal, Li will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Li, who is expected to retire at the Communist Party's national congress next month, will also meet the Chairperson of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka.

Former prime minister and Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) K P Sharma Oli, and former prime minister and CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ''Prachanda'' will also hold separate meetings with the visiting Chinese leader.

Earlier this month, China pledged Rs 15 billion in grant assistance to Nepal to invest in various projects this year.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)