Chinese officials are said to have informed Pandey in New York on Saturday of Xi’s willingness to visit Nepal.

A meeting was held between Pandey and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 69th UN General Assembly.

Pandey told the Post on the phone that the date of Xi’s “Nepal visit will be set as per the convenience of both the countries. “Chances of Xi visiting Nepal are strong. Chinese officials hope the visit strengthens bilateral relations,” he said.

No president of the People’s Republic of China has visited Nepal in the last 18 years, since Jiang Zemin came to Kathmandu in 1996. The last highest-level visit from China was by then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on January 14, 2012. He stayed in Kathmandu for five hours.

A statement issued by the Chinese foreign ministry after the meeting between Pandey and Wang read: “Together with the Nepali side, China will take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-Nepal relations as an opportunity, carry out high-level interactions, deepen practical cooperation, expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges and lift China-Nepal comprehensive partnership of cooperation to a new high.”

Xi recently visited India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The Nepali Embassy in Beijing said after a briefing organised by the Chinese foreign ministry after Xi’s South Asian tour that there is a plan for him to visit other countries in the region.

“There is the possibility of a high-level visit from China to Nepal next year,” said Nepali Ambassador to China Mahesh Maskey.