The expansion of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to Nepal by a day has triggered speculation about whether India will be part of the itinerary for his trip to the region that began with Pakistan on Monday.
Wang, who holds the rank of state councillor, flew into Islamabad to participate in a meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) council of foreign ministers on March 22 as a “special guest” and to join the Pakistan Day celebrations on March 23. Wang will also address the OIC meeting on Tuesday.
Nepal’s foreign ministry announced on Monday that Wang will visit the country at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Narayan Khadka during March 25-27. It was earlier expected that Wang’s visit to Nepal would be a two-day affair beginning on March 26.