Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli to attend SCO Summit in China

Kathmandu: Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is set to visit China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The meeting, also attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, will be held in Tianjin.

Oli is scheduled to embark on this five-day visit on August 30, with the summit itself taking place from August 31 to September 1, according to sources close to the Prime Minister. Despite this, there has been no official announcement regarding the visit.

Oli's trip to China precedes a planned visit to India in mid-September, which likewise remains unconfirmed officially. Raghubir Mahaseth, the head of foreign affairs of Nepal's ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), has confirmed Oli's travel to China but did not provide further details.

During the visit, Prime Minister Oli is likely to meet with President Xi Jinping, as reported by sources. In 2016, Nepal became a Dialogue Partner with SCO after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), defining its engagement in areas such as trade, investment, energy, agriculture, security, transportation, education, health, culture, and disaster management.

Previously, Oli visited China in December 2024, shortly after taking office for the fourth time.