KATHMANDU - A delegation of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by the party's General Secretary Bipin Acharya, is preparing to travel to the People's Republic of China at the invitation of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). The plan was confirmed by RSP spokesperson Jagadish Kharel, who said the proposed visit was discussed at a secretariat meeting held at the party headquarters on Saturday. According to Kharel, the delegation will include some members of the party and will leave for China soon, although the party has not disclosed the exact date of the trip. The announcement, carried by Nepal Press and Khabarhub, confirms a senior-level, party-to-party visit by the RSP leadership to China in the coming days.

An invitation from China's ruling party

The visit will take place under a formal invitation extended by the Chinese Communist Party to the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Spokesperson Jagadish Kharel confirmed this while briefing on the outcome of the party's internal discussions. Because the invitation has come directly from the CPC, the trip is being organised as a party-to-party engagement rather than a government visit, and the RSP will be represented at the level of its General Secretary, with Bipin Acharya at the head of the delegation.

Kharel did not specify when the invitation was received, which Chinese leaders or departments issued it, or what programme the delegation will follow in China. What the party has made clear are the essentials: the host is the CPC, the destination is the People's Republic of China, and the departure will take place soon. The confirmation of the visit through the party's own spokesperson also indicates that the RSP is treating the invitation as settled enough to publicise, even as the logistical details remain to be announced.

Discussed at the secretariat meeting

The decision to send the delegation was taken up at a secretariat meeting of the RSP, held at the party headquarters on Saturday. Kharel, who informed the media about the meeting, said the proposed China visit was discussed there before the party announced the plan publicly. The secretariat's discussion therefore served as the forum in which the delegation's leadership and general timing were settled: Acharya as the head of the mission, with some members accompanying him, and travel to China "soon."

The meeting on Saturday did not produce a published schedule. No departure date was announced, and the party has not said how long the delegation will stay in China or where it will travel within the country. The spokesperson's briefing, as reported, focused on the invitation and the fact that preparations for the visit are under way.

Key points from the party's announcement

The core details confirmed by the party so far are as follows:

  • The delegation will be led by RSP General Secretary Bipin Acharya.
  • The destination is the People's Republic of China.
  • The visit is taking place at the invitation of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC).
  • The plan was discussed at the party's secretariat meeting, held at the party headquarters on Saturday.
  • The delegation will include some members and will travel to China soon.
  • The date of the visit has not been disclosed.

What remains unclear

While the headline elements of the visit are now public, the party has held back a number of details. Kharel said the delegation "will include some members" but did not name the participants or state how many people will travel. The date of departure has likewise not been announced, with the spokesperson saying only that the delegation will leave for China soon. The party has also not disclosed the agenda for the trip, including which meetings, locations or programmes are planned during the visit to China.

For readers following the story, the state of play can be summarised simply:

  • Confirmed: the invitation from the CPC, the leadership of Bipin Acharya, the destination, and the broad timing of "soon."
  • Unconfirmed: the size and composition of the delegation, the travel dates, the length of the visit and the programme in China.

Next steps for the delegation

With the secretariat's discussions concluded and the announcement made, attention now turns to the final details of the trip. As of Saturday, the RSP had not released the names of the members who will accompany Acharya, nor had it indicated when the full delegation would be made public. The spokesperson's statement was limited to confirming the invitation, the delegation's leadership and the broad timing, leaving the remaining specifics to be communicated once they are finalised.

Until the party announces the dates, the visit stands, in the words of the party's own briefing, as an upcoming trip by a delegation led by General Secretary Bipin Acharya to China at the invitation of the Chinese Communist Party, with some members of the party expected to join him on the journey.