By Our Reporter

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari is now on a visit to China. She was received by the Chinese leaders as former President although she was said to be paying the visit to northern neighbour as a UML leader.

When the Chinese leaders gave high importance to her visit to Beijing, UML general secretary Shanakar Pokharel clarified that Bhandari was paying a visit to China in the capacity of the former President of Nepal.

The way the former President was welcomed in China showed that China often shows respect to Nepali leaders. It is noteworthy to mention here that Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Nepal during Bhandari's tenure.

The other day, Liu Jianchao, the head of the foreign liaison department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with former President Bhandari in Beijing.

Liu positively apprised Bhandari's long-standing contribution to the development of China-Nepal relations.

Former President Bhandari is paying the visit to China at a time when she is preparing to return to party politics. She has already started exercising her power in the UML, mostly countering a few decisions of party chair KP Sharma Oli. It is said that Bhandari is working to reorganise the party by unifying CPN-UML and CPN (Unified Socialist). This is evident from the fact that she prevented Oli from filing a corruption case against Madhav Kumar Nepal.  Now that she is likely to receive support from China, she may pose a challenge to Oli and will begin work to bring the divided communist forces together.