Senior leader of CPN (Unified Socialist) Jhala Nath Khanal is set to take part in the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) to be hosted by China.
The third BRF will be held in Beijing, the capital of China, on October 17-18.
Aside from Khanal, Professor Dr Yubaraj Sangraula will also take part in the Forum, the sources have said.
Khanal, who was participating in the Mechi-Mahakali Socialist Awareness Campaign that kicked off on October 1, is flying back to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj today.
“Senior leader of the Unified Socialist, Jhala Nath Khanal, is leaving for China to attend the third BRF,” said Jagannath Khatiwada, the spokesperson of the Unified Socialist, “Since he is scheduled to leave for China, he is returning to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj today itself.”
Khanal is taking part in the third Forum in capacity as the chief of the Foreign Department of the Unified Socialist.
Earlier, in the second Forum, former Prime Minister Madhav Nepal took part as the head of the Foreign Department of the then Nepal Communist Party (NCP), even though, according to official rules, president, prime minister, minister or an official designated by the government, has to represent the forum on behalf of the government.
Professor Dr Sangraula is considered an expert of the BRI. He has also published a book on the BRI which was initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
There had discussions that Sangraula would become the Nepali Ambassador to China following the formation of the government under the current ruling alliance.
However, the post of Nepali ambassador to China went into the fold of CPN (Maoist Center).
Even though some ambassadorial posts to Russia and other countries went into the fold of the Unified Socialist, he did not show interest in becoming ambassadors to other countries despite request, it is learnt.
