Vice-premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yang arrived here in Kathmandu on Monday. He is on a four-day official visit to Nepal.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jitendra Narayan Dev welcomed Wang at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Wang, who is leading a 21-member delegation, is the senior most Chinese official to visit Nepal since 2012 when then-Premier Wen Jiabo visited Kathmandu briefly.

The visit comes in the wake of a dispute between India and China over the Doklam tri-junction and ahead of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's scheduled  state visit to India.

During his stay, Wang is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Bijay Kumar Gachhadar on Tuesday.

The two sides will discuss matters related to the Belt and Road Initiative of China and possible projects under it, and execution of the pacts signed in the past. Wang will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and PM Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday.

He will also have meetings with senior leaders including CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

He is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the China-aided Basantapur Durbar Resto-ration Project on Tuesday.