Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli departed for China on Monday on a four-day official visit, leading a 78-member delegation.

The prime minister left Kathmandu at 11am aboard a chartered Himalaya Airlines flight and is expected to arrive in Beijing at 6:10pm local time. Eight officials from the Nepali Embassy in Beijing will join the delegation.

Before departing for China, Prime Minister Oli was accorded a guard of honour by the Nepal Army at Tribhuvan International Airport. National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Dahal and Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh, among other dignitaries, were present at the airport to see him off.

The Cabinet meeting on Sunday evening endorsed the visit’s agenda. According to the Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Oli will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and discuss matters of mutual interest on Tuesday.

During the meeting, both sides will discuss various agendas, and agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed. The Cabinet has also approved a list of a dozen projects related to road infrastructure, urban development, and industry trade to be proposed to the Chinese side for grant-based implementation.

During the visit, Oli will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. He is also scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at Peking University and address the Nepal-China Business Forum, co-hosted by Nepal’s Embassy in Beijing, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

The delegation includes Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Economic and Development Adviser Yuba Raj Khatiwada, members of parliament, senior government officials, private sector representatives, and media personnel.

Prime Minister Oli is set to return to Nepal on Thursday.